The Child with Braids: The Child of Silence
by xOx ShinjiHirako XoX
Summary: She trusted him. She loved him. She thought that he loved her too...but he didn't. He left her, to rot in a prison cell with their unborn child. This is the continuation of Kumiko Sakurai's journey of finding peace, the story of her child, and the torn heart of our all-time favorite Kisuke Urahara. [Kisuke/OC Fanfiction. Sequel to "The Child with Braids"]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Chapter 1**

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**Heyy darlings, here it is! Finally, I finally sat down and wrote the first chapter to my promised sequel ;) So let's recap quickly:**

**1\. Kumiko Sakurai (Kuna) : Aristocrat shinigami, fourth-seat of the Eleventh Division -under the command of Kenpachi Kiganjo. She is the main protagonist and an OC of mine that I made up in a second of twisted madness. She falls in love with Kisuke Urahara, and goes through a huge confusing roller coaster of emotions haha wow that was...I can't even...**

**2\. Kumiko, at the end of the story, finds out she is pregnant with Kisuke's child. She never gets a chance to tell him, because they are both arrested (Y'know that whole Aizen vs. Kisuke, and the creation of the Vizards kinda thing...well yah).**

**3\. Kumiko now hates Kisuke's guts...again...**

**So I have a few ideas for this story, and I can't wait to write more! Please enjoy this new story, my first sequel, and remember sweeties~ don't forget to review ;) Or y'know, pressing the follow story button works as well haha xx Thank you!**

**DISCLAIMERS: Once again, I do not, unfortunately, own Bleach or Kisuke Urahara or any of its other characters; all credit goes to Tite Kubo. Kumiko is the only one I own *sadness* but whatever ;) I also do not own the incredible poems, lyrics, or quotes that appear at the beginning and end of the chapters. I will do my best to cite them correctly.**

**WARNINGS: Spoilers for the Turning Back the Pendulum :D**

**Enjoy~**

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_"Out of the night that covers me,_

_Black as the pit from pole to pole,_

_I thank whatever gods may be_

_For my unconquerable soul."_

\- William Ernest Henley, Invictus

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**Chapter 1**

Emptiness. It was all she could feel. Her heart was torn; her mind, a complete and utter mess. She felt broken. She couldn't imagine her life in the future.

Alone. Alone in a cruel world where her only company was her unborn child. It wriggled inside of her, reminding her of the grudge she held against its father. The infant only renewed her undying hate. So why did she keep it? Ridding herself of it would be the easiest choice, and was definitely the decision that made more sense. But she couldn't bring herself to kill the child. It was hers. It was his. It was theirs.

In this wretched world, her baby was the only reminder that she had of him. It was living proof that he had actually existed, and hopefully still did. The Gotei Thirteen had sent out a search for him and his partner, but came back empty-handed. They had questioned her, trying to get information out of her, who had no clue what had even happened. But she, feeling that she would be betraying Kisuke by denying everything, remained silent, ignoring their empty and meaningless threats. Nothing could possibly be worse than losing the one you loved, not even Death itself.

And she would have welcomed her end with open arms if it hadn't been the obligation her lover had left behind. At the end of the day, this baby was the only thing that kept her going. It would have been cowardly enough to kill herself, let alone murdering an innocent child.

Besides that, she felt indebted towards Captain Kurostuchi; the man who had taken over the new roll of Squad Twelve and the person who had saved her from that vile prison. He had come a week after Kisuke's disappearance, and explained to her about his escape. To say that she was devastated was an understatement; she had been completely mortified. But still, she had to hold her head high or otherwise people _would_ believe that she was guilty.

"Kumiko, stop daydreaming and listen to me!" a shrill complaint shattered her train of thought. God, not _him_.

She snapped her head back towards the annoying pretty boy standing in front of her, shifting her gaze over to his bald friend. Over the five months that she had spent in that wretched prison, Captain Kiganjō had been killed in battle by some lunatic that called himself "The Kenpachi from Zaraki". He, by tradition, had become the new captain. Rika and Maki, the cowards and loyal friends they turned out to be, fled from the squad as soon as Maki was replaced by Lieutenant Kusajishi.

That child was terrifyingly irritating. Her bright pink hair was enough to piss Kumiko off, let alone the fact that she was such a nuisance. And what was up with those ridiculous nicknames she made up? Even Zaraki got impatient with them, and she often wondered why he hadn't put the annoying cretin out of its misery yet.

"Are you _still_ ignoring me?" The man –if you could even classify him as one –got in her face and screamed at the top of his lung, catching her off guard.

"Shut the hell up Yumichika!" Kumiko dug her fist into his face, sending him flying for the fifth time that day.

"You dare ruin my beautiful face!" he shrieked when he was back on his feet.

"What beautiful face; all I see is a pile of shit!" She shot back, closing her eyes in annoyance.

"You little cow," he muttered, flicking his bangs out of his eyes, "You're simply jealous of my–" Yumichika cut off as her foot got stuck in his mouth –a small miscalculation on her side. His eyes widened in realization and he began squealing, spitting her waraji out and frantically wiping his tongue.

"I dare you say it, Pretty Boy," Kumiko challenged, flames igniting in her eyes.

"It's good to see that you guys are getting along just fine today," Ikkaku sighed. He was leaning against one of the buildings, his sheathed sword resting against his shoulder, "So when are you going to stop quarrelling with Yumichika and actually fight me, Kumiko?"

She looked up at Ikkaku skeptically while she Noogied Yumichika, ignoring his yelping as she screwed her knuckles into his temples, "There's no point; I'll beat you anyway."

That really pissed him off.

"What did you say, you little runt?" His eyes grew ten times larger along with his mouth.

"You heard me," Kumiko trilled, flicking Yumichika away with a simple twist of the wrist, "You. Can't. Beat. Me."

"I can beat any Kido Master," Ikkaku joined the jeering, his mouth twisting into a demented-looking smirk that sent shivers down her spine. Who in their right mind would want to face someone like _that_ anyway?

Still, she couldn't forgive him for his insult. She shot an unpleasant snarl his way; "You really wanna fight that badly?"

"You really want me to answer that?" Ikkaku smirked, unsheathing his sword and crouching down.

"Ikkaku you can't fight a pregnant woman!" Yumichika shrieked in disbelief.

"Why not?"

"Because she's _pregnant_!"

She laughed, "Are you getting soft on us, Pretty Boy?" She sobered and looked Yumichika squarely in the face, trying to make herself as threatening as possible, "Or are you saying that I'm weak now that I'm pregnant?"

Her low growling seemed to be a success, because he went blue in the face and began backing away, spouting out random shit that she could care less about. Shaking her head at his insolence, Kumiko turned back to Ikkaku, preparing to make him regret his grave mistake. No one was going to insult something _he_ taught her!

_"This is so stupid! Why I am doing this?"_

_"It's training, Kumi-kun."_

_She glared down at Kisuke, screaming back at him so loudly that her voice rattled the underground training grounds they were using, "How the hell is me standing on a wooden pole _training_?!"_

_He shook his head, a scolding tsk escaping his lips, "Kumiko, Kumiko, you're so impatient. This is a vital point of the training."_

_"You said that when you made me piss off Captain Unohana," Kumiko replied flatly, inwardly flinching at the memory._

_He nodded, that adorable smartass expression written all over his face, "I know. But this time I'm being serious; this is a very vital step in Kido training."_

_"But it's going to be embarrassing!" She pouted, hoping that her whining would let him cut her some slack. But it came to no avail, and all she received was an air kiss._

_"Do it, Kumiko."_

_"Fine," She sighed, scanning the training grounds, one last time, for anyone. When she found no one, she closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs, "O' holy pillar of timber! Grant me your power and lend me our strength! As I stand on yonder…wood, I beg you to–"_

_Kumiko looked down at Kisuke rolling in the sand, holding his sides as he laughed he guts out. Next to him, Yoruichi, in her wondrous glory, smirked up at Kumiko. Realizing that she had been tricked, the ill-tempered girl jumped down and didn't hold back, immediately attacking Kisuke; biting and clawing at anything she could grab ahold of._

"Idiot, why are you walking away?" Ikkaku asked, lowering his sword as Kumiko turned away.

She shook her head, stubbornly choosing not to answer his question. She didn't want to fight anymore, not while she was so distracted about _him_. Bloody man! Even after he had left he still caused her trouble!

Kumiko shut the door to her office, slumping down into her chair. One look at paperwork made her queasy, so she decided not to do it. Screw what the new captain thought; screw what anyone thought. Nothing mattered, not anymore.

"Asshole!" Kumiko screamed, her thundering voice catching the attention of the officers in the surrounding buildings. She didn't care. All she wanted was to shout and curse him until her throat was hoarse.

"Whatcha screaming about, Kumi-Kumi?"

Kumiko slammed her fist against her desk, scowling at the pink-haired brat sitting on the corner of it. Why couldn't she just bother someone else today? Why was it always Kumiko whom Yachiru was always choosing to bug? She was nearly as ridiculous as Kisuke!

"Nothing that concerns you Lieutenant Kusajishi, so just go fu–" the woman stuttered to a stop, laying her hands on her belly.

She was moving. Kumiko smiled, closing her eyes and trying to picture what her child would look like. Would it be a girl or a boy? Kumiko was feeling like the infant was a girl; it was guesswork but Kumiko was almost certain of it. Kumiko also wandered if she would have her mother's eyes, or her father's. She hoped it was the latter, since these eyes of hers only caused revolted stares and trouble.

"Kumiko, what the hell are you doing?" The captain waltzed in, tilting his head to the side as he watched the strange woman.

Yachiru leapt from the wooden desk to her friend's shoulder, jumping up and down and giggling, "Kumi-Kumi's baby is kicking her, Kenny!"

"Huh?" he glanced at Yachiru, "That sounds painful. Why on earth would you let a baby beat you up?"

"It is not painful at all, Captain Zaraki," Everyone turned to the entrance again, warily staring at their new company. Captain Unohana glided towards Kumiko with the grace of an angel, smiling with the innocence of one, "A mother feeling her child kicking her is one of the most precious things in life. Truly magic, don't you think…Captain Kenpachi Zaraki?"

"Uh, yeah," he scratched his head, attempting to turn away from her grueling smile, "I've had enough of this bullshit. Kumiko, don't forget to go on your rounds with Yumichika."

"Yes, Zaraki-taicho," Kumiko finally dropped her hands away from her belly and bowed to her captain. She faced the next captain, briefly wandered about Captain Unohana's tense grin, and asked, "Why have you come, Unohana-taicho?"

"I came here to bring you to the Fourth Division since you didn't come to your appointment today, Sakurai-san," she explained, "I hope you didn't…forget?"

"N-nope!" Kumiko squeaked, inwardly cringing at the dark presence suddenly coiling around her throat, "I…I _just got carried away_ –yeah, that's it! I got busy and couldn't come –my deepest apologies, Unohana-taicho."

Kumiko flinched as Unohana giggled, "You act just like Urahara-san sometimes, Sakurai-san."

"…I'm nothing like him," she responded, turning away angrily.

She felt the studious stares of the Fourth Division Captain before she felt another obnoxious kick from the wretched little beast inside her. Damn Kisuke! How could he do this to her? It was bad enough to leave her to rot in that bloody cell, but to _abandon his fucking child_? The man truly had been maniacal.

_He didn't know anything_. That stupid voice known as her conscience began to rear its ugly head. _You were too chicken to tell him that you were pregnant remember?_

Kumiko: _Shut it._

Conscience: _You've got no one to blame but yourself._

Kumiko: _You're me moron!_

Conscience: _Then you just called yourself a moron._

Kumiko: _You piece of shit, I–_

"Sakurai-san, are you well?" Captain Unohana asked with great caution, looking at the woman amusedly, "You seem to be having an inner battle with yourself."

Kumiko and Conscience: _How the hell did she know that?_

"It's nothing to be concerned about," Kumiko replied stiffly, marching towards her office door and thrusting it open to welcome the bleached sunlight. The soft chimes of clanging battle swords reached both pairs of ears, and seemed to erase the room of tension with every strike. Kumiko closed her eyes and took a deep breath of her division. The smell of sweat and blood would have scared any outsider away, but not Kumiko. It was soothing; a reminder of what her life had been like a year and a half prior, before she even knew of Kisuke's existence, a time where the only thing that mattered was the bloody sword in her hands, and the thought of thwacking off the head of any enemy to the Seireitei.

Those days were over. For now.

She glanced down at her belly, the bulging mound that held the only tie that connected her to her old self. The self that wouldn't be waiting for these nine months of torture to end so that she could go hunt the bastard that damaged her pride, as well as the people she had come to love and cherish.

"Do you know why I hate him so much Unohana-sama…" whispered Kumiko, staring outside of the walls of the Eleventh, where Squad Twelve were. It had grown very quiet after Kisuke left, even with all the renovations that Captain Kurotsuchi had ordered.

Unohana didn't say anything for a long while, but finally addressed the girl, "Why, Kumiko?"

She leaned against the doorway, and smiled tiredly, "That man…I loved him. I trusted him." Her voice thickened with the heartbroken tears, "For the first time in a long time, I was reminded of what it was like to be wanted, to have someone who would hold me and tell me that it would be alright. And I was stupid…so…stupid. For a second, I thought that maybe this time would be different. That he would stay…unlike Haku…but I was wrong."

"Haku didn't leave you by choice, Sakurai-san. Kisuke did, however."

"I hate him. I hate the part of him that infests my child." Her eyes squinted, a faint mist of green outlining her body, "I'll find him, and I'll crush his skull with my bare hands. I'll kill that son of a bitch, even if it means I have to destroy this body in order to do so."

She startled at the comforting touch of Unohana's hand. It was a rare gesture of genuine empathy from the old witch, and Kumiko was lulled into her previous state of dormant anger again, realizing how inappropriate it was of her to lose composure in front of a captain of the Court Guard Squads. She may have disgraced herself by letting a traitor touch her body, but she had a family name to protect, and a rank that required a higher level of maturity and grace.

"Forgive me, Unohana-taicho," Kumiko bowed her head respectfully, "I have kept you waiting for quite some time now."

The two set out to the Fourth Division. Although there was an infirmary inside the Squad Ten Barracks, ironically three rooms from Kumiko's office, but Unohana-taicho refused to use it. Her reasons were still to be announced; all Kumiko could gather was that the old woman felt uncomfortable in the Tenth Division. Not that she could blame her; Kumiko herself found herself trembling when face-to-face with the new captain and his creepy little lieutenant.

And in some ways, Unohana not wanting to use the Squad Ten infirmary was a blessing for Kumiko. She had been forced to drive a desk ever since she had been released by Central Forty-Six, and the discovery of her pregnancy was made known. The cruel bastards insisted that she had the child, which just happened to mean that she was unable to do any physical activity –such as going to the World of the Living, or even lifting her zanpakuto –to prevent any harm to the infant growing inside her. Coming hand in hand with that, Kumiko was placed under heavy surveillance constantly; having to sign in and out every time she left the barracks. It had gotten so bad that there were now three Shinigami standing guard outside her bedroom, in case she "tried to escape like her partner".

Not that she had anywhere to go.


	2. Chapter 2

**I am so sorry for delaying this story so long! I've had this serious block as to where I wanted to take this story. I have all these awesome ideas for later on in the story, and I don't really want to have a time skip again, especially so soon in the story. So sorry guys! Enjoy~~**

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Kumiko stood by her bedroom window, hand on her belly. She stroked the soft fabric of her nightshirt in circular movements, recalling how her mother would do so when Kumiko, herself, was barely even one. It still surprised her; how one could remember such meaningless memories even after such a long time.

"_How old are you, Kumiko?"_

"_I'm twenty-seven."_

Her delicate fingertips flinched away from the baby, finding better comfort in slamming against the glass. She pressed her palm against the window. She hated it. This was her first place, other than when she was living in the Kuna household, that had windows. She hated them. They blocked the sound of the birds, obscured the colors of the leaves on the trees, and made her feel imprisoned; trapped; stuck in the same place with no means of escape...she hated _him_.

The glass splintered, shattering into millions of microscopic fragments of sand. Kumiko stared at them as they scattered around her feet, cutting into her fair skin. Her hand still felt hot from the sudden burst of reiatsu that she had released. She silently burrated herself for letting her temper get the better of her... but it was hard not to get upset when Kisuke entered her thoughts. Enter...who was she trying to kid? He never left them, even after he left her.

The first weeks after Kumiko had been released from that wretched hovel prison, she had done nothing but fret over Kisuke's wellbeing. Central Forty-Six had ordered countless of "civil" interrogations, having Kumiko questioned about Kisuke's whereabouts and his plans.

"_I won't ask you again Sakurai," Soi-Fong paced predatory circles around her, slow and deliberate. Kumiko's teeth gritted against one another; her ears sensitive to the echo of the footfalls. The faint smell of blood and sweat hung in the air of the interrogation room, and Kumiko laid a hand over her swollen belly._

"_Fucking moron, how many times do I have to tell you," Kumiko smirked up at the newly appointed captain, "It's Kumiko _Kuna_."_

_She jumped as Soi-Fong brought her palm down against the wooden table, sending earsplitting rings through her head, "I don't give a damn what your name is Kumiko! Tell me where the hell Urahara is hiding!"_

"_I don't know!" Kumiko screamed back. Soi-Fong stared at her fallen comrade's face, painfully witnessing as tears welled up in her eyes. Kumiko bit her lip and, finding that it wouldn't stop the flow of tears, hid her face in her hands, "I don't know. I don't know. I don't know."_

"I don't know…" She muttered, feeling her palms heat up again as her temper began to snap for the second time that morning.

Walking away from the window, Kumiko headed toward her cupboard to get dressed. She stared at the uniforms she had been using for the past months. Now with her baby bump, her uniforms obviously didn't fit her anymore. And seeming that the Seireitei was making her pay for the imprisonment bill for both Kisuke, Yoruichi, Tessai, and herself, she didn't have the money to buy new uniforms. So, in desperation, she had ransacked the Twelfth Division of their former captain's Shihakusho.

"_Urahara Kisuke" _was labelled on the inside of the collar. The name sent warm sparks through her fingertips as she brushed against the label. It still smelt like Kisuke, like smoke and peroxide and other various chemicals that Kumiko could never remember the names of. But most importantly, traces of his reiatsu still clung onto the shitagi, woven into the fabric along the cotton threads. She could still feel his strength wrap around her as she slipped into his robes.

"You feel that, baby," Kumiko whispered to her belly, giving a rare smile at her child, "That's the power that courses within you."

Kisuke had been so powerful, so rigid. Kumiko found it hard to believe that he had gone on such a violent rampage...but what if what Soi-Fong had told her was true? What if Kisuke had in fact snapped, and tortured his fellow Shinigami? Was there any way she could have stopped that?

Was all this her fault?

"No," she clenched her fists, "No. No I didn't know." Kisuke was good. He was too kind to hurt anyone. She, of every person who knew him, would know that. She was the one who felt his fingers brush against her skin every morning, the one who had witnessed his generosity, the one whom he had saved. Not for a second would she doubt him. Yes, he had abandoned her, but that didn't make him a guilty man.

The guards knocked on the door, startling the woman inside. "Sakurai-sama, we are here to escort you to your office."

"Coming," Kumiko called as she hastily tied her obi and ran her fingers through her hair. She should have brushed it, but she couldn't be bothered with looking semi-decent right now. The guards would bust down her door if she didn't hurry.

Snatching up a banana as she opened the shoji door, she was faced with four guards. It was ridiculous that Central Forty-Six thought that she needed to be escorted by more than two guards. Being only thirty-seven years old, she posed little to no threat. Her reiatsu would only be fully developed in another two decades if she was lucky.

"Let's go," She grumbled, not waiting for a single guard as she sped toward the office building. They caught up with her with ease, and she blamed it on unfair disadvantage. "Slow down, boys, I have twenty-eight more pounds on me than I'm used to, remember? I'm not going anywhere."

"_The ultimate choice for a man, in as much as he is driven to transcend himself, is to create or to destroy, to love or to hate." _

\- Erich Fromm.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here we go! Two new chapters -this and the previous one -for all your patience 3 **

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**Chapter 3**

Yoruichi's eyes were trained on Tessai's hands as he chopped the vegetables on their cheap, plastic cutting board, but her mind was elsewhere. She had, for several days now, been devising a plan for her and Kisuke and Tessai, not to mention the Hollowified Shinigami they had brought with them to the World of the Living.

It was strange being here. Things were so different where the humans lived; the buildings weren't as sturdy, the technology not as advanced, the inhabitance so naïve. Even the air wasn't the same as Soul Society. Just the thought of breathing made it harder to breathe.

"I don't like onions, Tessai," she muttered, shifting her legs before they fell asleep. She didn't even have a clue how Soi-Fong could even –oh…

_Stop thinking about her. _She inwardly growled, shutting her eyes tightly but opened them as soon as the image of her dear apprentice formed in her mind.

"Urahara-dono, the soup is ready, sir," Tessai announced to the man slouching next to Yoruichi.

"Yeah," he murmured in a hushed voice, "Okay, thanks Tessai."

Tessai placed his plate on the table, but Kisuke made no move towards it. Yoruichi sighed, not bothering to hide her irritation, "Kisuke, eating your goddamn food."

"I'm not hungry," was his response.

"God you're so stubborn," she hissed, crossing her arms and pushing away her plate too. Kisuke's gloomy mood was ruining her appetite, and now the soup that Tessai made tasted like mud –though she partially lay the blame on the onions.

Kisuke stared at the said soup. It looked delicious, even smelt enticing. His body told him to eat, to replenish the strength that he had lost while opening the Senkaimon to the Human World, creating Gigai for every single person in their party, as well as the escape itself. But, despite it having been five months since the incident with Aizen and Central Forty-Six, Kisuke couldn't forgive himself for what he had done; how he had left Kumiko behind.

Secretly he was hoping that not sleeping or eating would kill his body. Death would be so much easier than facing Kumiko…if he ever _did_ see her again. The thought sent chills down his spine, numbing the gaping hole in his gut even more so than it had been a few seconds before. Not ever seeing Kumiko ever again. The idea was daunting, a subject he'd prefer to hide in the depths of his mind and never think of ever again. But it was a possibility. He wouldn't be able to return to the Soul Society where he had left her; he had been banished after all.

But that wasn't what worried him. No, he would find a way to enter the Senkaimon again, and see her…but what if _she_ couldn't see him. What if she was…dead?

"You're a fucking idiot, y'know that?" Kisuke glanced at Hiyori. He didn't bother smiling at her, or even trying to act happy. He wasn't sure he could ever escape this somber trap that he found himself stuck in without the help of Kumiko. She always knew how to brighten up his day, even if she lost her temper with him for being too quiet. She had such an awful temper.

"What is it Hiyori?"

She was taken aback momentarily at the hostility in his voice, but soon snarled at him, "I wanted to tell ya that you're a fucking idiot, you fucking idiot! How can you just sit here and–"

His chuckle stopped her in her tracks with a stutter. It wasn't the sad smile that touched his lips that caught everyone off guard, but rather the melancholy staining his once so cheerful eyes, "You know…that was the first thing Kumiko said to me. She kept on calling me an idiot even after I pointed out how many times she had already said it…"

"Man you're depressing," Shinji groaned, entering the room with the charming gesture of scratching his behind, "If you loved her that much then why the hell did you leave her there?"

"There wasn't enough time!" Yoruichi shot to her feet, more than prepared to defend her friend, "How dare you judge us after–"

"She wouldn't have come." Kisuke said loudly, his voice close to a shout. All eyes on him again, he continued to explain with more restrain, "Kumiko, as much as she made out to hate it, loved the Soul Society. She wouldn't have abandoned her squad or family." He stood up and began heading to the door, "I can't say that she was the most loyal of all nobles, but she definitely was one of the most caring."

"Kisuke…" Yoruichi whispered.

Mashiro, who had wandered in the room with Kensei to find out what the commotion was about, looked at her feet, "Kumihimo wouldn't have left without saying something to Mother. I got a letter from her a few days before…the incident." She fished it out of her pocket to show everyone as if to prove her point, "She said that she wanted to visit the Kuna Household before –uh…" She bit her lip, and glanced at her feet, "Before she went on her next mission."

Kisuke stared at her for a long time. He could barely see any resemblance between Kumiko and Mashiro. While Kumiko's eyes were two separate shades of blue, Mashiro's were both a solid brown. Her silken, wavy hair was the opposite to those Kumiko's jet black ribbons that she would plait every morning. They were both tall, slim girls, but it was obvious that Mashiro had inherited the aristocratic beauty. Kumiko was gorgeous –most likely thanks to the Kuchiki blood that coursed through her –but she wouldn't be what others would call "chocolate box pretty". Kumiko, appearance wise, had more in common to Byakuya Kuchiki than her own sister.

But where the similarities were…were in the way the two acted. Mashiro was, not at all, nearly as serious and terse as Kumiko, and she didn't seem to have an awful temper like Kumiko had. But, when Kisuke looked closely, he could see that they both nibbled their lower lip or glanced at the ground. When the two were excited, their faces would break into these infectious smiles. When Mashiro was teasing Kensei, she would pout. When Kumiko would taunt Kisuke, she would smirk. But they always would have a spark in their eyes; an illuminating, incandescent fire.

Her smile.

"I'm taking a walk," Kisuke stood up, his chair sliding noisily against the tiles, "Mashiro…I don't appreciate being lied to."

He left the room in a turmoil state. Yoruichi glanced at Tessai, who quietly mumbled to his wooden spoon, "Urahara-dono didn't finish his soup."

"Stupid moron, why did you lie to him?" Hiyori snapped at Mashiro, who now stared shamefully at her feet, far from her normal self. "Now he's just gonna get all depressed again!"

"Again?" Shinji snorted, "He's been like this ever since we left, five _months_ ago Shortie. So stop blaming it all on poor Mashiro."

"Shut it Shinji," Hiyori warned, turning her deathly glare towards the blond, "I'm not in the mood to deal with your smartassness."

"Smartassness? Wow Hiyori, I didn't think it was possible but your English actually got worse!" Shinji's howl of laughter was cut short by Hiyori's fist.

Yoruichi, a rare scowl tugging her plump lips down, slammed her palms against the flat of the cheap plastic table she sat at, barking out at the two Vizards, "Will you two fools quit at your lover quarrels?! I am trying to _think_!"

With this, she too, like her friend, stormed out of the room, leaving everyone in a shocked silence once again. First Kisuke, and now Yoruichi, the two in their gang who were most unlikely to lose their well-kept tempers, had both raised their voices at them. In the same day.

Tessai sighed, his quiet exhalation seeming louder now that there was no other sound among the crowd of exiled. Slowly, one by one, all the room's occupants left, starting with Mashiro. Kensei rushed out after her, and Hiyori followed soon afterwards. Shinji sat on the wooden floor, resting his face in his hand, palm covering his eyes. He remained like this for minutes, silently devising a plan for his friends.

"Fuck it," the blond muttered, shuffling onto his feet and, though his pace was at a saunter, it was clear he was frustrated. Tessai continued to stare at the spoon in his hand, unmoved from his stringent position. Kisuke was lost without Kumiko. Yoruichi was lost without Kisuke. Tessai tried to feel empathy for them but failed to do so. He had always been accompanied by Hachigen, who had even been brought over here to the Human World with him. It was difficult for Tessai to understand what Kisuke was going through, or Yoruichi for that matter.

It was a tragedy that Kumiko was left behind, but Tessai couldn't feel bad for her. She wouldn't have been able to cope being away from the Soul Society; she was too loyal to her Squadron. And the way she had reacted while they were in the Second Division Prisons…the chance to kill Kisuke, if given, would not have been passed up. Tessai was convinced that even if their names had been cleared, Kumiko would not have forgiven Kisuke easily, not after what she had been put through.

_The cells were silenced, the violent criminals imprisoned within recoiled from the howls coming from the interrogation room. Tessai gritted his teeth, watching as Kisuke stared aimlessly at the blood-stained and moldy wall in front of him. The shrieks were cut off by an incomprehensible sob, but Tessai was sure he could make out the faint words "Please stop" and "He wouldn't do that"._

_There was a crack –it was impossible to know if it had been a whip or bone –followed by the pained yelp of Kumiko. Kisuke flinched, hiding his head in his arms and rocking back and forth._

"She was in so much pain." Tessai jumped from the memory and turned to face Kisuke.

"It is good to see that you are feeling better, Urahara-dono," Tessai began but stopped after receiving a defeated smile from Kisuke.

"Better…how could I feel better knowing that I left her alone in that prison…to die."

Tessai shook his head insistently, "Kumiko would never–"

"Would never die? Tessai, do you even know what those prisons are like?" Kisuke snapped, slamming his fist against the wall, "Overflowing with filthy, disease-ridden serial killers and rapists who would take their revenge on any Shinigami they could get their hands on."

"Urahara-do–"

"And that's even the worst part!" Kisuke shouted, "The wardens are the worst! They beat on the inmates, starve them, _kill_ them! God Tessai, Kumiko could be bleeding on a grimy tiled floor right now for all I know! _And I can't do a thing about it!_"

Tessai stood up from where he sat at the table, his abrupt movements catching Kisuke by surprise, "Sakurai-san is strong, and you should be the last person to forget that, Urahara-dono."

"Tessai's right, Kisuke," Yoruichi sighed, walking up to the two men, handing Kisuke a folder, "There was nothing you could have done back then and there is nothing you can do now. So either you sit around and sulk, or you help me start us out here in the World of the Living." She tapped her foot several times before adding solemnly, "And…maybe…once we're positive that the Seireitei isn't out for our asses anymore, we can try make contact with Kumiko."

Kisuke stared at the folder for a long time. He was sure he had heard Yoruichi and Tessai walk out the room, but he hadn't bothered to look. All he could do was read the title neatly labelled on the front cover, over and over and _over_ _again_.

_The Urahara Shōten._

It was so ironic that Yoruichi had chosen this as their cover identity. Could she have known? No…Kisuke had never told her about what Kumiko had called him –or more accurately, compared him to –back before they had actually started their relationship.

_Ugh, stop thinking. Stop thinking. Stop!_

Kisuke closed his eyes, raking a hand through his hair. He needed to wash it if he was going to go out into the Human World. The dirt was so much dirtier here in this dimension. It proved that there were so many intricate differences about this world and the Soul Society that one would not notice from brief visits. It also didn't help to know that he would not be returning to the Soul Society. He noticed things that brought up nostalgic memories that he probably would never have even looked at before.

Still, this was it. There was no going back, and he had to realize that sooner or later.

"Okay, first things first," he smiled, his mind racking through all the human customs and laws that he had read about in from field studies, "We need birth certificates to prove our existence. If the data still applies to this decade then there should be special groups who illegally forge things like this. Once we have birth certificates, we can go to the appropriate official locations to get the other documentation that is required."

Tessai shook his head, "Surely they wouldn't just give them to us."

"The birth certificates will cost money, but really only you, Yoruichi, and I need them for starters." Kisuke pointed to the living room where all of them had slept in the previous night, "If they want then we'll save up and buy Shinji a birth certificate and then we'll know that they're settled then. Food costs money here, but not as much as it did in the Soul Society. If anything, we can stock food here and supply it to Shinji and his friends until they can support themselves financially. As for documentation…"

"We can say that we lost ours in a fire," Yoruichi piped in, "We could just light an apartment block on–"

"_Yoruichi!_"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." She winked, hoisting herself up onto the counter and crossing her legs.

Kisuke sighed, reaching for his lunch and reluctantly eating. He had winged enough. He was the only one who could start their lives out here without being noticed by the Soul Society. As much as it pained him, he brushed away the thought of Kumiko for the first time in what seemed like forever. She wasn't here…and never will be.

They needed to move on.


	4. Chapter 4

**Holy crapnuggets it's been way too long. Life has been so crazy and it seems as though I've been making a habit of not updating on a monthly basis anymore lol**

**My deepest apologies :)**

**Here's super long chapter now! Warning there is a sex scene in the beginning and therefore the rating will change from T to M. It's explicit, not by a longshot, and to be honest this will probably be the only Rated M piece of material in this FanFiction but I don't want to get in trouble by rating something wrong haha (I'm such a goody-good)**

**_IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE_**

**Another note just in case any of you forgot -there's a reference to it in this chapter, so that's why I'm letting you all know -Kumiko is a lot younger than Kisuke, by like sixty or so years. Now before any of you excuse me of being a pervert, I want to remind you all that a lot of the Shinigami are varied in age -Rukia is over a hundred years older than Ichigo, Ulquiorra is way older than Orihime, etc. **

**Anyways, please enjoy :D**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_"__What are you doing, silly girl," Kisuke murmured as he felt Kumiko press her lips on the corner of his smile._

_She giggled, her warm breath tickling his nose, "You're cute when you're asleep."_

_He opened his eyes, meeting her striking blue ones. It was still dark outside, though the sky was not black anymore. It was probably around four in the morning. He was tempted to just go back to sleep and see how she would react but he knew that would most likely end in his demise._

_"__Kisuke," she hummed, nuzzling his neck playfully._

_"__You shouldn't be like that Kumi-kun," he scolded her._

_He felt her wriggle on top of him, "Be like what?" It might have sounded innocent, save for the steamy tone she had been speaking in._

_She squealed when he rolled them over and captured her lips. Within moments Kumiko kissed him back, closing her eyes contentedly and let Kisuke push her head against the pillow. They drew back for a moment before Kisuke pecked her lips again and again and again._

_"__Kisuke stop!" Kumiko laughed, her toes curling as he placed tickling kisses all over her face. She felt his teeth scrape against her cheek as he let out a chuckle, "Gross! What are you doing?"_

_He grinned cheekily at the flush in her skin, "You're so ticklish."_

_"__Shut up!" She batted him with her hand lightly but smiled. She shook her head and smirked at him, "I'm not ticklish."_

_"__Oh?" he replied, "Then what are you, dear little Kumi-kun? Do enlighten me."_

_She hesitated for a few seconds, beating her fingers against his chest. Kisuke felt his eyes grow heavy with every tap. Opening his eyes he could see her peering up at him with a bemused spark in her eyes. They stayed like that for a while, staring at each other in that frozen moment in time. Kumiko shifted, pressing into his hips and earning a quiet moan from her partner. Whether it had been done on purpose, Kisuke couldn't be sure –though he was fairly sure that her leg had fallen asleep after being still in one position for so long._

_"__You haven't answered my question," Kisuke insisted, pressing his hand against her neck, satisfied that her heartbeat was faster than normal. Sliding his fingers down to the collar of her kimono, he began to slip it off of her shoulder, "Or are you just a little tongue-tied? I understand, my charm and wit are just _that_ advance that even someone like you, who is–"_

_"__Hot," she whispered before rubbing her lips against his again, "I'm hot." She heard his breathing labor and smiled at what she was doing to him. "Kisuke," she whined, locking her eyes with his, "What's wrong sweetheart? You look…a little flushed. Maybe we should get you out of these clothes. This weather is so random, one minute it's fine and the next it's so hot and–"_

_"__Quiet," he hushed her with a kiss, slipping his hand underneath her and grasping her back. She gasped as he brushed his lips across her breast, clinging onto her tiny back._

_She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, biting her lip as she rubbed against him. He sighed, leaning down to kiss her again. How did she do this to him so easily? Her fingers tugged at his kimono and he assisted her in taking it off. Once again she was coaxed into silent contemplation. Kisuke knew that there was something playing on her mind so he waited patiently for her to tell him what the matter was._

_"__I had a dream," Kumiko traced his muscles, pressing down on his neck and grazing her mouth against his collarbone, "A dream about my mother."_

_"__Is that why you couldn't sleep?" Kisuke guessed, though he knew that he was right. Kumiko wasn't a restless sleeper and the only thing that could work her up enough to interrupt her sleep was her old life as a noble. "What was the dream about?"_

_Kumiko shook her head, "I'd rather not talk about it." She looked up at Kisuke, the lust gone for a moment, "I just wanted to let you know why I was up; I'm sorry for waking you."_

_He cupped her face with his hands, resting his forehead against hers, "Wake me any time you need to, Kumiko. I'll always be here."_

_She pushed him away and for a second Kisuke thought that she was going to go back to sleep. But instead of rolling onto her side, she sat up and untied her obi. Kisuke swallowed as she slid it off of her shoulders, letting it drop and slide off of the bed. The next piece of clothing to go was her panties, which she had taken off at a painfully slow pace. But she didn't make him suffer too long. Even Kisuke's patience would have run out eventually if she had continued to tease him._

_Kumiko lay back down, licking her lips anxiously as Kisuke followed suit, hovering over her. He didn't look away once, watching her reaction carefully as he pushed into her. Besides a small moan, Kumiko seemed perfectly fine. Even though this wasn't their first time, Kisuke still took his time to make sure she wasn't uncomfortable._

_"__Tell me to stop if you want to," he breathed, relieved when she shook her head. As if to reassure him again, she made the first move and began to roll her hips against his._

_It was silent, save for their gasping, and everything was so peaceful. Sex had never been a loud mess for the two, unlike so many of their friends. Kumiko was just about done hearing about all the unpleasant details of Rika sex life –and as much as she would love to have some new material to taunt Maki with, there were just some things that she really _didn't _need to know about her lieutenant._

_No, sex was always so much more than primal instinct to her. Sure it was a great stress reliever but pummeling Kisuke with a sword worked much better for her. Kisuke, as perverted as he could be at times, never took Kumiko lightly. He had always treated her as if she was the last woman on earth; that he would die if he didn't have her in his arms. Kumiko did not need Kisuke to make her feel special –the Kuchiki in her made her too proud to ever let her ego to falter –but it still made her giddy when he did._

_Kumiko panted as Kisuke pushed further and faster. He looked relatively composed, unlike the disheveled mess that she was. Damn though, she would never get used to the feeling that he gave her…this starving need to have him in every way possible, mentally and physically. She caught his mouth with hers, igniting a fiery kiss between the two. Pressing her tongue against his, Kumiko let her hand glide down the hollow of his back that moved in sync with her hips._

_He murmured her name, and Kumiko grinned and closed her eyes. What a tease._

Kumiko stirred, a faint smile tracing her lips. What a bittersweet memory. Her mind was such a bastard to think stab at the wounds that she so desperately tried to heal.

It had been seven months since the incident with the Hollowfication experiments and everyone seemed to be easing little by little. Captain Unohana was keeping a keen eye on Kumiko at all times, expecting the baby to arrive any day now. The rest of the Seireitei seemed to be anticipating Kumiko's childbirth as well, which concerned her in more ways than one. Captain Kurotsuchi had been hounding her about whether her baby was affected by Kisuke and the Hollowfied Shinigami. Zaraki, on the other hand, had been more worried about when she would come back to work –as someone had to "keep Yumichika and Ikkaku busy".

Kumiko herself had been fretting over a more tedious matter. On the day of the incident, she had promised Mashiro that she would visit their mother with her sister to make amends. Mashiro knowing about Kumiko's child before Kisuke did made Kumiko nauseas. If that stupid green-haired moron had any sense of self-preservation then she had better not say a word to Kisuke. Kumiko was quite confident that Mashiro hadn't said a word to Kisuke, however. What good would it have done? If anything, it would make the situation all the more worse for Kisuke –something Kumiko didn't want.

…Or did she?

It was hard to distinguish her feelings for Kisuke nowadays. She knew that she still loved him just as much as she did the day she had first recognized her romantic feelings for Kisuke. But leaving her…it left a sour taste in her mouth, a burning sensation of loneliness in her gut. Was it possible to both love and hate someone at the same time? Was it possible to move on from something like this?

That sounded so melodramatic. Out of all the suffering and events that Kumiko had gone through in her life, why was this particular one so hard to overcome? Couldn't she just take a memory replacement pill and forget about Kisuke? That would have been so much easier, to just erase a memory and paste another in to fill in the gap.

"Kumiko, watch where you're going," Yumichika grouched as he grabbed her elbow and guided her away from the pothole in the road, "You better be thankful that Ikkaku and I were assigned to take you to your house–"

"It's not my house, Pretty Boy," Kumiko interjected, shaking off his hand, "It is the Kuna's."

Yumichika dismissed her interruption with an over exaggerated hand flick, "My point _is_ that if it had been any other escort, they would have let you fall into that treacherous ditch to let you hurt yourself and your baby."

Ikkaku, being his usual self and growing uncomfortable with the mention of babies, moaned at his metrosexual friend, "If you don't stop talking about babies and deathly potholes I'm gonna skewer you."

Kumiko zoned out soon after, not interested in picking sides on yet another pointless quarrel. Besides, there were far more urgent matters that required her undivided attention. She still wasn't sure as to what she was going to say to her mother. Something along the lines of "Sorry I've been such a bitchy daughter but you _did_ deserve it" just didn't seem to cut it. After all, it had been over twenty years since she had last seen her mother, so to say something like that would only make the situation more uncomfortable than it already would be.

There it was, the Kuna Estate. It surprisingly looked rather different. The once white, wooden walls were now red brick, and the zen garden Kumiko and Mashiro had used to chase each other in was now overrun by bright, colorful bulbs and flowers. Varnished oak monstrosities now stood where shoji doors once were and the windows were framed with what looked to be velvet curtains and there were sounds of dogs barking and so much gravel on the path to the front door where there should have been powdered sand and Kumiko's heart was going a thousand miles an hour. What the hell was she thinking? Why was she even here? _Where the fuck was her house?_

"Uh, Kumiko?" Ikkaku prodded the frozen woman with his sheathed Zabimaru, "Don't tell me now, after all the bullshit you and that moron over there put me through, now you're getting cold feet!"

Her gulp caught in the huge lumpy rock in her throat but she managed to move toward the door. It was a slow but progressive process but eventually Kumiko worked up enough guts to stop shuffling forward and actual lift her feet off of the ground.

Standing in front of the oaken double-doors was rather daunting and Kumiko wasn't quite sure if kneeling down in front of it would still be appropriate. This style of house was definitely not of her culture. Surely it would look odd?

"To hell with it," Kumiko sighed, sinking down to the concrete doorstep and flinching when her fingers brushed against something furry. At first she thought she had brushed her hand against a pig but it turned out to be some strange floor mat. Her mother had lost it.

_Knock Knock!_

She discreetly glanced over her hunched over shoulder, relieved that Yumichika and Ikkaku had decided to follow her lead and kneel in front of the grand doorway. It seemed that these two dunces weren't as barbaric as she had originally thought them to be.

At the sound of the door unlocking, Kumiko snapped her eyes to the ground and bowed her head. The person behind the door gasped with surprised.

Kumiko began to introduce herself, "Ohayō gozaimasu. I am Kumi–"

"_Jean-Pierre, il ya des gens bizarre à l'extérieur de maison_!" The maid screamed at the top of her lungs, "_La fille parle très étrange Français!"_

Kumiko sat up and reached for her zanpakuto instinctively before realizing that she had been stripped of it. Damn it!

"Stand back Kumiko," Yumichika and Ikkaku stepped forward and shielded Kumiko, swords drawn.

The maid's shrieks only grew louder at the sight of the menacing sword wielders. Kumiko was more horrified than the pathetic house servant was though. Whoever Jean-Pierre was, he was taking his merry time to get his ass over to the front door. What kind of household tolerated this kind of behavior anyways?

"_Aidez-moi!_" The maid whimpered.

"What is she saying?" Ikkaku shouted, "Listen here lady! Shut the hell up or I'll–"

"_Diable!_" The frightened girl cried out, turning around to run away but was caught in the arms of a lumbering oaf of a man. He frowned at her, opening his mouth with the promise of a lecture when he suddenly stopped as he caught sight of Yumichika and Ikkaku.

"_Vous vous appelez comment?_" He asked curtly.

Kumiko shoved both men out of her way and marched through the door into the massive hallway, nearly skewering the giant's eye with her jabbing finger, "I am going to ask once and only once. _Are you Jean-Pierre_?"

He looked at her for a long time before slowly nodding, "_Oui, je m'appelle Jean-Pierre. Et vous, mademoiselle?_"

"What the fuck are you even saying?" Kumiko bellowed, "I am Kumiko Sakurai, fourth-seated officer of the Eleventh Division in the Gotei Thirteen! I demand that you take me to the head of the Kuna household!"

When Jean-Pierre hesitated at Kumiko's request, Yumichika added venomously, "_Right now_."

"_Quel chahut, Jean-Pierre? Doriane, j'ai demandé de l'eau…Kumiko?"_

At the sound of her name, Kumiko turned her glare to the woman who addressed her, "Your servants suck."

Her mother shook her head disapprovingly and descended the wooden staircase that she had been standing on, "Your manners have degraded much I see."

"Well I had originally been kneeling at the entrance," Kumiko tossed a scowl at the maid –presumably Doriane –"but this one started screaming bloody murder before I could even finish an introduction."

Her mother laughed at this, "Yes, I suppose that they are not used to Japanese coming from anyone but me. I speak to them in French–"

"The majority of this district speaks Japanese," Kumiko pointed out, "The Kuna Household is of the Japanese culture. Why introduce French of all things?"

"I needed a change," her mother snapped, sending a glare identical to Kumiko's at her daughter. Her eyes shifted to the two gaping men still standing at the entrance, "And who might your fly-catching friends be, Kumiko?"

Kumiko waved them in, "Yumichika Ayasegawa, fifth-seat of Squad Eleven," Yumichika bowed while Kumiko continued to her bold friend, "And Ikkaku Madarame, third-seat of Squad Eleven."

"My, I feel honored that you have brought such strong shinigami into my house, Kumihimo." Kumiko's mother grinned at all three of them, "My name is Sachiko Kuna, head of the Kuna Clan. It is a pleasure to meet you." Jean-Pierre set down Doriane and ordered her to do something before he placed his hand over his heart and bowed to the Shinigami. Sachiko formally introduced him as the Kuna Household Butler, to which Kumiko attempted to hide her disgust and confusion. She failed miserably.

"Come, let us take this conversation somewhere more comfortable," Sachiko turned on her heel and began to climb the stairs again, calling to the butler as she drifted effortlessly in her weird heeled shoes, "_Jean-Pierre, je voudrais les biscuits et le thé, s'il te plait."_

"_Oui, madame._"

"I'm surprised you don't remember any of your French, Kumihimo," Sachiko opened the door that opened out to a balcony, "Your tutor burdened himself teaching you and Mashiro."

"Mashiro was always the better student," Kumiko replied sullenly.

Sachiko chuckled at this and grinned at Yumichika and Ikkaku, who had thus far watch the exchange between the two Kuna women in silence, "Kumiko was always much more studious than she ever let on. I would even go as far as to say that she excelled in her studies far better than Mashiro. That isn't to say that my eldest was without talent; Mashiro was a fantastic swordsman and was so strong! Is not that right Kumihimo?"

Kumiko grunted in response, too awed by the balcony they stood on to bother with her mother's small talk. It was magnificent. The gardens that Kumiko had caught glimpses of from the pathway stretched below them. It was a sea of color, with roses and dandelions and lilies and blossoms and violets and Sakura. Little sparrows splashed each other in a granite birdbath, making sure to keep out of the way of the wasps that quenched their thirst on the sunny day. There was a hummingbird floating about as well as a few squirrels.

"This is…beautiful," Kumiko murmured. She couldn't stop herself from pointing out the obvious; the garden demanded praise.

Sachiko placed her small hands on Kumiko's shoulder gingerly. For once, she didn't speak. It was as if she spoke then her words would shatter the fragile moment of peace. Kumiko glanced over at Yumichika and Ikkaku. To her growing embarrassment, they seemed to be entranced by her and Sachiko standing so close together. Nonetheless, the two men took the hint and stood up and bowed.

"Where are you two going?" Sachiko asked, hurrying away from Kumiko and back to the other Shinigami. The desperation in her voice did not go unnoticed by Kumiko.

Yumichika was about to reply when Jean-Pierre appeared with a tray of tea and biscuits. Sachiko took advantage of the moment and hurried both the Shinigami to a lounger couch. Now that she was more focused on the interior of the room, Kumiko realized that this used to her and Mashiro's playroom. It was so different though. The walls were all an antique white, the furniture was a mixture of royal blue and grey, and glass art and pottery littered the room. Next to where Yumichika and Ikkaku sat was the fireplace, a white shelf mantled on above it. On it were an assortment of Japanese-styled jars and portraits. There was one of her and Mashiro grinning goofily at the painter; another photo of Sachiko and her late husband –Kumiko's father –on their wedding. Forcing herself to look away from the paintings and photographs, Kumiko slumped in an upholstered armchair and took the steaming cup of green tea from Pierre-Jean.

Kumiko tasted it and scowled, "At least your butler knows how to make proper Japanese tea."

"These biscuits are incredible!" Ikkaku exclaimed through a mouthful of cookie, stuffing his face with the sugary treats. Yumichika nodded in agreement and begged Kumiko to try one but stopped when Sachiko shook her head.

"Kumiko has always hated sugary things," she explained, "The only sweet I can think of that she liked was hard candy from the Human World. Mashiro used to bring them to us when she became a Shinigami. I still have some from her most recent visit." She turned around and grabbed a jar off the shelf and popped off the lid, revealing mouthwatering rock candy and spearmints, "They stay good _forever_, so they're safe to eat. Would you like one Kumihimo?"

Kumiko stared longingly at the jar. Must not take. Must not take. Do _not_ take. Do n–

"Yeah why not," She snatched the jar from her mother and dug in, crunching down on the sugary goodness. Holy shit these were so _good_! So crunchy and yuuuuuumm.

Kumiko snapped out of her sweet-tooth state as Yumichika awkwardly asked Sachiko, "So…you're Kumiko's mother…_how?_"

Sachiko's bell-like laugh chimed through the room, "I can see that you would not see any resemblance in us as of now. But," she looked lovingly at Kumiko –who was peering in the opening of the empty candy jar, "Kumiko is my biological daughter. She is Mashiro's younger sister, though I am sure you could not know much about her."

"Why not?" Ikkaku asked defensively.

Sachiko's smile turned bitter, "Because Lieutenant Kuna was one of the Shinigami that was experimented on seven months back."

Kumiko set the jar on the floor with a clunk, startling her mother. She cleared her throat and Sachiko nodded hesitantly, "I can see that is a subject that you're touchy on. Understandable considering it was your sister, Kumihimo."

Yumichika winced as Kumiko let out a sound that resembled a sob though he was sure it was supposed to be a laugh. He glanced at Ikkaku, who also seemed just as guarded as Kumiko was. So her mother didn't know about Kisuke. It would be interesting to see how she reacted to that news.

"Uh so Kumiko, you're pregnant I see," Sachiko carried on uncomfortably, "Congratulations. How much longer until I'm a grandma?"

"About two weeks or so," she replied, placing a hand on her abdomen as if she only remembered now about the little bundle that she was carrying, "That's actually one of the reasons why I came over here."

"Oh?" Sachiko smiled, "Just like your father, you are. Always having a reason for everything you do."

"If you don't mind me asking," Yumichika began slowly, deliberately avoiding Kumiko's glower, "Who is Kumiko's dad? She doesn't tell us much about herself outside of work."

"That, I must say, is rather surprising to hear. Kumiko was such a bigmouth when she was little!" Sachiko stood up and planted herself in between Ikkaku and Yumichika, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders, "Well, I guess it's my job as a parent to embarrass her and tell you everything about her life before she came to the Gotei Thirteen.

"Kumiko and Mashiro's father was Ginrei Kuchiki's second eldest son, Akio Kuchiki." She began, her voice dropping into a low and soothing narrative tone, "He was betrothed to Yoruichi Shihōin, the heiress to her noble Clan. He refused, however, believing it was wrong to marry someone who was about thirty years younger than her –Kumiko why are you laughing? Oh whatever; back to the story. Ginrei was infuriated that his son, a proud Kuchiki, had refused another noble and punished him by arranging a new betrothal. To me, Akio's third cousin."

"The Kuna and the Kuchiki are closely related," Kumiko informed her comrades.

Sachiko nodded and continued, "Akio and I were more than thrilled for we had been the greatest of friends for a long time prior to our engagement. We married and had children, doing what was expected of us as nobles. But we never _loved_ each other –not in the romantic sense." She smiled and looked longingly at the wedding portrait on the mantle, "We were content without romance and both led a comfortable marriage and household with only being friends. Our friends and family could never fully understand Akio and my relationship, never believing that it was possible to be married to someone for so long without developing some type of romantic feeling."

Sachiko sighed, running a graceful hand through her silky hair, "Akio died shortly after Kumiko's kidnapping–"

"_Kidnapping_?!" Yumichika screamed, showering Ikkaku in cookie crumbs.

"It seems as though Kumiko hasn't told you anything," Sachiko cast a disapproving look at her daughter, who only glared back defiantly. "Yes, Kumiko was taken by a bunch of thugs when she six. She went missing for years and we were all sure she had died. But shortly after Mashiro had been promoted to the rank Lieutenant, we caught news of a child in the Rukon District who had attacked the Head-Captain Yamamoto. Mashiro and her captain, both interested by this so-called prodigy, paid a visit to the Shino Academy where the child had apparently been forced to enroll in." She breathed in deeply and smiled, "That night Mashiro came rushing home and told us that the rumored child was Kumiko."

Ikkaku barked out a laugh, "Kumiko a prodigy?!"

Sachiko grinned, "Yes it was hard for us to believe too since Kumiko had never been very athletic when she was younger–"

"Well growing up in a crime invested world tends to throw a wrench in the works," Kumiko growled and took over the role of narrator before her mother could continue. "I've never been a good sword fighter. I can hold my own but my strength was with the amount of reiatsu I had. That was why the Head-Captain sent me to the Academy instead of killing me."

"He wanted you to learn how to tap into your spiritual energy so he could use it as an advantage later on," Yumichika guessed.

Kumiko nodded, "He told me all of this before he left me at the dormitories in the Shino. I only spent three years at the Academy because I chose advanced Kido classes and therefore could only learn more through actual experience. Even now I am still learning how to utilize my reiatsu and probably will only truly be ready in the next century."

"That explains why you weren't executed," Ikkaku mumbled.

Sachiko picked up the comment and hissed, "Executed? What are you talking about?"

Yumichika sighed, "Kuna-sama, this is a delicate matter that we probably–"

"I welcome you into my home and _this_ is how you act?" she raised her voice, interrupting Yumichika.

Ikkaku answered for both of them this time, "We are not guests. We are escorts."

There was tense silence broken by Sachiko's confused stutters, "But…but you are a higher rank than Kumiko," she paused, "Why are you escorting her…unless…"

"Mother, I am under house arrest," Kumiko explained while signaling the two Shinigami to take their leave.

She sat Sachiko down on a bench while she leaned up against the windowsill. Only when she heard the door close did she begin to explain, "I'm connected to Mashiro's disappearance."

"What!" her mother exclaimed, struggling to make sense of it all.

"I know you're confused so let me finish before you come to any conclusions," Kumiko hushed her, placing a hand on her own belly and standing up. She felt better talking down to her mother rather than looking up at her while sitting. Taking a deep breath, she began, "I met someone about nine or ten years ago. He was the most obnoxious person ever, always smiling and goofy and would never leave me alone. It didn't help that he grew up with Yoruichi Shihoin and therefore had a connection to the nobles. I tried so hard to avoid him, to just pretend he didn't exist but it got harder and harder and eventually I fell–" she swallowed hard, hoping her mother couldn't notice how difficult it was for her to say all of this aloud, "–I fell in love with him. Slowly and then all at once. Suddenly, everything he did was perfect in my eyes, everything about _him_ made my heart jump. I was scared, _terrified_ about how I felt about him. It wasn't like me. I was so used to closing myself off to people, especially nobles, that it frightened me how I could feel so strongly for someone. I avoided him, tried to push him away and tell him how much I hated him but he saw through it all…he knew I loved him. And he loved me. He told me, not just with words but in every way. He would look at me and he would hold me and tease me and walk with me. And I knew. I knew that this feeling that scared me so much was also what he was feeling. It was weird at first, to have a relationship with someone but he was always so goofy that it became comfortable."

"Kumiko…" her mother whispered.

Kumiko smiled, "There was nothing in this world that I cared more about than his love…at least that was until I found out I was pregnant. I was going to tell him the same day I found out but was so fucking scared that I ended up telling Mashiro first. She urged me to tell him and it made me so happy. For the first time in my life everything seemed perfect again; I had someone who loved me, I had a child, and I had a sister again. I was happy…but then he disappeared. And so did Mashiro. And so did my happiness and my love. It was all replaced by hatred again."

"Honey, I am so sorry you've been through so much," Kumiko's breath stopped as her mother grabbed her hands. It was coming; she was going to ask it. Sachiko shook her head confusedly, "But I don't see how any of this relates to you being under house arrest."

"Mom…he was a captain," Kumiko whispered, scared out of her mind, "And his name was Kisuke Urahara."

"Urahara…oh my God."

Kumiko let go of her mother's hands and rushed out of the room, down the stairs and out of the main door. She didn't care if Yumichika and Ikkaku were following her, all she wanted was to block Sachiko's bloodcurdling sobs out.

"Goodbye…"

**A/N: Thought we could use a little more information on Kumiko's background –I didn't do much of a good job in the first FanFiction, sorry guys!**

**Also, yes at that time there were cameras ;) I was sure to make sure that my story was period and didn't stray away from history. The Turn Back the Pendulum arc –which this Fic is based in –was released in Japan in the year of 2008. So 2008 is the present time, subtract 110 years to go to the time where Kisuke is promoted to Captain status, and it's 1898. Kumiko was about twenty-seven then, so if we subtract 37 years to when Kumiko and Mashiro's parents got married, it's the year 1861. The first camera was invented in the May of 1840, by Alexander Wolcott! Mwahahahaha**

**Sachiko is a Japanese name for girls –I'm not so mean that I would give Kumiko's mother a boy name –and its translation is 'Happy child" or "Child of happiness". You can obviously tell that I'm obsessed with –ko names!**

**I made it up to second year French so I'm confident about Jean-Pierre, Doriane, and Sachiko's French but please forgive me if I made any errors. If you do find one, feel free to leave a review or PM me so that I can fix it ;D Thanks!**

**Here are the translations:**

**Kumiko began to introduce herself, "****Good morning.**** I am Kumi–"**

**_"_****_Jean-Pierre, there are weird people outside of the house!" _****The maid screamed at the top of her lungs, ****"****_The girl speaks very strange French!"_**

**Kumiko sat up and reached for her zanpakuto instinctively before realizing that she had been stripped of it. Damn it!**

**"****Stand back Kumiko," Yumichika and Ikkaku stepped forward and shielded Kumiko, swords drawn.**

**The maid's shrieks only grew louder at the sight of the menacing sword wielders. Kumiko was more horrified than the pathetic house servant was though. Whoever Jean-Pierre was, he was taking his merry time to get his ass over to the front door. What kind of household tolerated this kind of behavior anyways?**

**"****_Help me!_****"****The maid whimpered.**

**"****What is she saying?" Ikkaku shouted, "Listen here lady! Shut the hell up or I'll–"**

**"****_Devil!_****"****The frightened girl cried out, turning around to run away but was caught in the arms of a lumbering oaf of a man. He frowned at her, opening his mouth with the promise of a lecture when he suddenly stopped as he caught sight of Yumichika and Ikkaku.**

_**"****What are your names?****"**_**He asked curtly.**

**Kumiko shoved both men out of her way and marched through the door into the massive hallway, nearly skewering the giant's eye with her jabbing finger, "I am going to ask once and only once. ****_Are you Jean-Pierre_****?"**

**He looked at her for a long time before slowly nodding, ****"****_Yes, my name is Jean-Pierre. And you, ma'am?_****"**

**"****What the fuck are you even saying?" Kumiko bellowed, "I am Kumiko Sakurai, fourth-seated officer of the Eleventh Division in the Gotei Thirteen! I demand that you take me to the head of the Kuna household!"**

**When Jean-Pierre hesitated at Kumiko's request, Yumichika added venomously, "****_Right now_****."**

**"****_What's the ruckus, Jean-Pierre? Doriane, I asked for some water…Kumiko?"_**

A little later Sachiko asks Jean-Pierre for tea and biscuits lol.

**Thanks for reading! Until next time, bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

**It's really funny because every time I tell you that I'm going to update within a week I NEVER DO!**

**Anyways, welcome back, I hope we all had a nice break from the series lol -hope you've been well, reading those fanfictions and keeping up to date with the manga :) **

**Thank you very much to **Daisuki1993 **and **18KmPerHr **-I know I already messaged you guys but I wanted to thank you again for all of your suggestions/help (Especially **Daisuki1993 **who helped me with correcting a few French errors in my last chapter -I will be posting the corrected chapter soon)!**

**So tomorrow is my birthday so that's why I really wanted to get this chapter out to you guys before that! xoxoxo I have been writing nonstop, believe it or not, it's just trying to combine all of the snippets into actual chapters that is my challenge :) So hopefully those should be ready soon**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

She hadn't left her office for days, since it was probably the safest place to hide from the judgemental glares and gossip. That and also the fact that Kumiko knew her mother was out waiting for her treacherous daughter to come outside and face her wrath.

Kumiko wasn't sure whether her was actually staying at the barracks or whether she went home and came back again the next morning. All Kumiko knew was that at three, Sachiko would knock on her office door and demand to talk to her. Of course Kumiko just ignored her shouts, deciding it was better to focus on work and try rebuild the reputation she once had.

But every so often, Kumiko contemplated opening the sliding door that led to her little sanctuary. Maybe if she could explain to her mother that Kisuke never would have hurt anyone she would understand how much Kumiko needed her mother right now.

It had only occurred to her two nights ago that she yearned for comfort, for someone to tell her that everything was going to be alright. Bloody Kisuke had made her forget how to ignore pain and judgements. Now that he, her lifeline, was gone Kumiko felt vulnerable and weak. She didn't know how to control her emotions anymore; they would run wild from happy to angry terror to depressed to sadness.

_Knock knock._

Kumiko carried on with her work, not even bothering to glance at the door or the clock anymore. She knew that the time to hear her mother screaming at her had come and it had almost become a part of her daily routine.

She didn't need her mother, the mother that believed she was dead for God knows how long.

"Kumiko…"

This was new. Kumiko could hardly hear her mother's quiet mew. She thought she heard a sniff but figured that she was mistaken. Sachiko would never cry for her.

But as her mother spoke again, Kumiko could hear how thick her voice was with tears. She knew that voice all too well. After all, she had spoken with that same voice every day now.

"Kumiko, I'm finished with screaming at you. I just want to talk to you…" She could almost picture Sachiko leaning her head against the doorframe. "I just want to talk Kumiko."

"_I just want to talk," Kisuke said, smiling calmly as his girlfriend bared her teeth at him._

_She crossed her arms and huffed, "There's nothing I have to say, Kisuke."_

_He chuckled, wrapping his arms around hers and leaning on her shoulder, "You can't give me the silent treatment Kumi-chan."_

"_I can do whatever the hell I want, asshole!" Kumiko growled._

_Kisuke blinked then burst out in laughter. Kumiko felt her cheeks turn bright red and she punched him on the head while laughing herself. His laugh was so contagious to her; the sound of his happiness levitating her off the ground. He was right, she could never give him the silent treatment. He was her Earth,Sun, air. He was, and always will be, her everything._

"Kumiko, I -" Sachiko was cut off by the sound of scrambling from inside and the whoosh of the door sliding open. It revealed a distraught girl, breathing hard from the brief burst of exercise. Sachiko smiled, taking a step forward and accepting her daughter's invitation.

Kumiko closed the door, sending a glare at one of the guards standing a few meters away from them. Sitting her mother down at one of the chair in front of her work table, Kumiko sat down herself, folding her hands neatly on top of her paperwork and studied her mother quietly.

"Yes, we need to talk."

Yumichika glanced at his comrade not-so-surreptitiously and observed her. Her belly was humongous and her bellybutton popped out like button. She was not smiling -Yumichika rarely saw a genuine smile from her -but something in her eyes told him that she was, for the most part, at peace.

"You know I can feel a hole burning through the side of my head with the way you're staring," she sighed. "What is it Yumichika?"

He shrugged as they took a left at the fork in the river trail they decided to walk that day, "You just seem...content."

Kumiko hesitated, looking back over her shoulder at the three guards that followed them. She would never get used to having strangers listen in on her conversations, never get used to the fact that her every move was being analyzed and documented in a report.

"Sachiko paid me a visit," she said briefly, hoping Yumichika wouldn't pry anymore. She would rather talk to him in her office where the guards had to keep their distance. Ever since she had been released from prison she had become the official Human Resources manager; sorting through complaints, budgets, and other stuff that the shinigami of her squad would rather have kept a secret. Because of this, Zaraki had demanded that any wires or cameras in her office be taken out at once. She wanted to say it was out of the goodness of his heart but she honestly thought it was because he had something to hide himself. Despite his reasoning, her office was the closest thing she had to privacy and would have rather talk about sensitive subjects there than anywhere else.

But Yumichika, being the dimwit that he was, couldn't take a hint and pressed for more, "By paying you a visit do you mean that you finally let her into your office to talk with you?"

She caught the eye of one of the guards and he shrugged, as if to say that she was stuck with him and his pals. Breaking someone's nose sounded really good right about now. Instead, Kumiko nodded and answered Yumichika's question, "Yeah we finally talked."

"And?" He drawled, clearly impatient with the way she was dragging things out.

Kumiko let herself smile, "_And_ we discussed about the baby...and her father…" She chuckled when she noticed his raised eyebrows, "I don't know for sure but I'm sure that it is a girl. Anyways, I told her what happened."

"What happened…to you and Kisuke I mean," Yumichika asked nervously.

Kumiko looked at him. He was looking at the ground and not meeting her eyes, almost too scared to do anything but walk. Should she tell him? _Could_ she tell him? Neither he or Ikkaku had ever bothered asking about her past with Kisuke so she had just assumed that they didn't want to know. But maybe they did. Maybe Yumichika actually saw her more than the lover of a traitor, just as she saw him more than a bodyguard. He was a friend.

Kumiko trusted him.

"Will -" Her voice broke, catching Yumichika's attention. She cleared her throat and tried again, "Will you judge him if I tell you?"

He remained silent, just staring at her with unreadable eyes. Unnerved, Kumiko looked away and tried laughing. The sound she emitted was closer to that of a choking dog than anything else.

"You know Kisuke was really good at reading emotions," She tried to hide her embarrassment but suddenly realized that she was talking about Kisuke, "I...uh…"

Yumichika laughed, clapping his hand over his mouth to hide it, "I've never seen you embarrassed before! This is so cute!"

"_Yumichika!_" She screeched.

He erupted in laughter and Kumiko shook her head. He was such a boy.

"Well," She looked at him and Yumichika continued to huff, "Tell me about him!"

"Kisuke…" She started, suddenly at a lost for words, "...Kisuke was the most irritating man who ever set foot in the Soul Society."

"Sounds accurate," Yumichika muttered good-naturedly but waved her on to continue.

_She laughed again and it was strange…_

"He was also had the hottest ass in the Soul Society," She smirked at her friend.

_...because for the first time in forever…_

"Kisuke was the second man I fell in love with," she lay a palm on her belly, biting her lip as she remembered the feeling of how his lips rubbed against her. How in sync they were with each other and how everything was always so much fun with Kisuke.

"The second?" Yumichika questioned and Kumiko nodded. "Well who the hell was first?"

_...for the first time in forever…_

"That is a story for another day, Pretty Boy," She chuckled at his pout, "Now shut up. We met when he ran into me -"

_...everything was okay._

* * *

**Say what?! Kumiko had a second love!**

**Haha, I've mentioned her first love a few times before -both in this fic and its first installation -so keep your eyes open for this mystery man ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

_"There is no greater warrior than a mother protecting her child"_

\- N.K. Jemisin

**Chapter 6**

Kumiko watched as Unohana set her stethoscope down, amazed by how she moved around this tiny room they were in. She knew it like the back of her hand, not having to search for an item once but rather knowing exactly where they were. Retsu Unohana was the closest someone could be to perfect.

"Sakurai-san, how have you been?" The captain asked politely, finally breaking the ice between the two. It had been an uncomfortable checkup, oddly enough.

Kumiko shifted on the bed, propping herself on her elbows so that she could look at Retsu better, "I've been good, though I think I might have come down with cabin fever."

Unohana let out a soft laugh as she prodded her fingers against Kumiko's belly, "Luckily for you, that fever may break in a few weeks or so."

"A few weeks?" Kumiko muttered, "Yup, I sure am hitting the jackpot."

They ceased conversation after that, settling for the peaceful silence instead. Unohana conducted her usual tests, cleaned up the room and threw away certain instruments she had used, and sat down in front of Kumiko.

"How stressed do you think you have been of late, Sakurai-san?" she asked finally.

Something in her voice told Kumiko that there was a problem, "Stressed…I'm not sure." She sat up and looked Unohana squarely in the eye, "I would say fairly stressed; trying to work around Central Forty-Six, running the office again, dealing with the Hollowfication incident. Why?"

Unohana took in a deep breath, as if deciding how to explain herself to Kumiko, "When the body goes through stress, we release a hormone called cortisol. It regulates the changes our bodies go through during stressful period in time."

"I don't know where you're going with this Captain Unohana," Kumiko gritted out, growing impatient.

"Pregnant women all go through stress during their pregnancies; their emotions are heightened due to their fluctuating hormones. But with enough stress, cortisol can be passed through to their fetus," Unohana's explanation came in a rush and mixture of emotions. Each word winded Kumiko and she felt the world spinning, "From the beginning of your pregnancy you experienced extreme amounts of stress; it's a wonder why your body hasn't miscarried already, especially after the beatings you endured while imprisoned –"

"Are you trying to tell me that my baby is going to die?" Kumiko cried out, fear gripping tightly at her heart. She couldn't lose her; this child was the only thing she had left of Kisuke.

Unohana shook her head and wrapped her long fingers around Kumiko's hands, "It isn't likely, though there may be developmental problems, like being born underweight. The child may be born with a high level of cortisol, meaning that it may suffer from anxiety or depression. Stress can also cause premature births, though I don't think that will happen –"

"Premature births? As in my child could have asthma?" Kumiko asked.

"Asthma can be one of the many problems; diabetes and weakened immune systems can be another. It all depends on how early the fetus is born."

Kumiko bit her lip _hard_, holding back her unshed tears, "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

Both she and Unohana were surprised by how frenzied she sounded. Kumiko breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself down and push her rage down.

Unohana stood up and faced the window instead of Kumiko, "There were no problems in the baby that I could see."

"And there are now?" Kumiko shouted, standing up too.

"_No, now sit down and calm down Kumiko_." Unohana hissed.

Kumiko hesitated momentarily before marching up to Unohana. She was done with this. She was tired of no one ever telling her _anything_! It wasn't just Unohana's fault, Kumiko knew that, but she was still blamed her for not telling her any of this earlier.

"How the fuck could you not have told me sooner?" Kumiko demanded, "How the fuck could you have kept that from me?"

Unohana sighed disappointedly, "Because I saw no point Sakurai-san. You wouldn't have reduced your stress levels; you _couldn't_. There was nothing you could do about your current life changes because Central Forty-Six and the Gotei Thirteen were deciding those for you. The real concern I had was what you went through in the prisons –but there was nothing we could do about that either."

Kumiko nodded. Why, she had clue. She didn't know what to do anymore. Unohana was right; she had no control of her life anymore. She could only do her best now and pray that her child was not affected by her poor choices.

"Sakurai-san."

Kumiko glanced up at Unohana, who smiled back at her, "It's alright to cry."

And like that, the floodgates broke. The tears that she had refused to indulge in for months finally broke loose in a torrent of emotions.

_Relief_

_Grief_

_Anger_

_Happiness_

_Love_

_Gratefulness_

"Go home, dear," Unohana passed Kumiko a tissue, "Get some rest and we will talk tomorrow." She opened the door and shook her when Kumiko began to argue, "You are in no state of mind to discuss your pregnancy, Sakura-san."

Like a school girl who had been sent to the timeout corner, Kumiko trudged all the way back to the barracks. Her tears fell silently down her cheeks, soaking her uniform. Her nose was running and the soggy tissue she was given wasn't doing her much service anymore. She was a mess…but a relieved one.

She had pretended to not like this child. She had lied to herself about hating her because she was also Kisuke's child. But that was all a lie; regardless of who her father was, this girl was hers.

Her bedroom was untidy when she entered it. She began to clean it, picking up all of the dirty laundry, folding the clean, and washing everything. She reorganized the books and manuscripts on her shelves and polished her sword. The plants that she had taken pride in months before were dead now from neglect, so she threw them out. She sat down on her newly made bed with a piece of paper, a pencil, and a photo album.

"**To-Do List**" She wrote at the top.

"**Buy: New plants, Soap, Mop, Uniform**"

Kumiko stared at the photo album, touching its leather cover gently, and added "**Tissues**" to her list. Crossing her legs, she set the book on her lap and opened it, staring at the pictures that stared back up at her. One was of Mashiro and Kumiko, both dressed in white dresses and holding baskets full of eggs. Sachiko had always been in love with many European customs so she had hosted an Easter Egg Hunt for all of the children in the manor. Kumiko remember wrestling Mashiro for the golden egg –Mashiro had won because she held it above her head and out of Kumiko's reach.

Another photo was of Sachiko and Kumiko's father, holding each other and smiling. Sachiko had an impish smile, her eyes glinting with mischief. Her father's eyes were calm and docile, his smile relaxed and loving. This picture had always been Kumiko's favorite; she believed that her parents had loved each other immensely, despite what they had told both her and Mashiro. This picture was proof alone.

Kumiko looked down momentarily at her belly, and whispered, "I love your daddy, no matter what I say, baby…never forget that." She wiped fresh tears with the back of her hand, "Don't let me ever forget that."

She turned through the pages, laughing and crying with each picture she looked at. Each one brought an old memory with it, some were happy and some were mournful and some were both. She recalled conversations that she had had with aunts and cousins and friends from the Rukongai. The pictures that were taken of while she had lived in the Rukon were the funniest. Her hair had been cut short and there was so much mud on her skin and clothes that it was hard to distinguish the two from each other. She glared at the camera, the distrust for the photographer evident in the way that she reached for her knife.

Finally, Kumiko turned to the last page, where her most cherished photo was. She looked away briefly before turning her face back to the wonderful picture of her fiancé.

"Haku."

_Kumiko sat on the grass with his head on her lap, smiling down at him. Haku yawned, his eyes growing heavy._

_"Are you laughing at me?" He grinned when the little girl giggled. He cracked open one eye and chuckled as Kumiko shook her head a little too quickly._

_He sat up and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her. Kumiko smiled and gave him a loud kiss on his porcelain cheeks. She leaned back in his arms and gazed up in awe at her fiancé._

_Haku was gorgeous, a magnificent creation sent to her. He had long black hair held back by kenseikan and narrow blue eyes. Judging by how long his legs were, he was going to be tall when he grew up, and he was already well-toned from relentless practice with Byakuya. Yes, Haku was a beautiful boy but not only aesthetically pleasing; he was a kind soul, a great hugger and the only one that Kumiko fully trusted._

_"What are you thinking about, little mouse?" She looked up at the sound of his voice. His eyes were sleepy looking again and Kumiko cried at the dark smudges underneath them, marring his silken skin. Kumiko knew that something wasn't right with Haku. He always had bags under his eyes and every move he made seemed painful. She knew that he didn't want to talk about it so she never asked him about it, although she felt that he was aware of the fact that she noticed that something was wrong with him._

_"Nothing really…" Kumiko broke out into a bashful smile, her cheeks flushing, "Just that you are handsome."_

_"Oh?" He asked teasingly, poking her nose and running his fingers through her hair, "So you're marrying me for my looks?"_

_"Yes!" She laughed, tackling him with a hug, "And because you're really nice to me! We're going to be a great married couple, Haku!"_

_He grew quiet, looking like he was going to cry. Kumiko feared that she had said the wrong thing but was relieved when he whispered, "I love you, little mouse."_

_"I love you too, Haku."_

Kumiko hugged herself, sobbing loudly. Maybe she wasn't meant to love; both Haku and Kisuke were made to leave her, one way or another. Maybe she wasn't good enough for love.

She shuffled, knocking the album over. Cursing incoherently between sniffling, Kumiko reached for the book. A loose picture fell out from the album and Kumiko stopped crying immediately. It was a picture of her…the newborn her in Sachiko's arms. She was bundled in a cotton blanket, snuggling into the warmth of her mother, sleeping soundly. Mashiro peeked over their mother's shoulder, her round eyes sparkling with that goofy excitement that overtook her so easily. Sachiko seemed to be saying something to Mashiro, probably something about holding Kumiko if Mashiro's open arms said anything. Their father gazed down at the scene lovingly, and the intensity of emotion in his eyes made Kumiko smile.

Maybe she did deserve love…maybe she had just been looking for it in the wrong place.

"We'll get through this," she whispered to her baby, feeling an emotion she hadn't felt in a long time. Serenity. "I love you, Shizuko."

* * *

_"May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand."_

\- Sandra Sturtz

* * *

**Thank you for reading so far! Hopefully we see more happier days for Kumi-kun ;D AND MAYBE CHECK UP ON KISUKE HEY?! **


	7. Chapter 7

**The first quote/lyrics are dedicated to Yumichika and Ikkaku who are very strange but loyal companions to Kumi-chan!**

**Please enjoy! Thank you for everyone who has been reading so far! 3**_  
_

* * *

_"In Our Darkest Hour  
__In My Deepest Despair  
__Will You Still Care?  
__Will You Be There?  
__In My Trials  
__And My Tribulations  
__Through Our Doubts  
__And Frustrations  
__In My Violence  
__In My Turbulence  
__Through My Fear  
__And My Confessions  
__In My Anguish And My Pain  
__Through My Joy And My Sorrow  
__In The Promise Of Another Tomorrow  
__I'll Never Let You Part  
__For You're Always In My Heart."_

-Will You Be There by Michael Jackson

**Chapter Seven**

Kumiko let out a cry, leaning against the bright green wall of her mother's living room. Sachiko hovered over her worriedly but refrained from touching Kumiko as she recoiled in pain. Yumichika was still frozen in the armchair, disgruntled and shifting uncomfortably as Kumiko continued to groan loudly. Ikkaku was pacing the length of the room, muttering incohesive things that involved a few creative curse words.

"Uhm, maybe just, uh, calm down," Yumichika stammered, clearly uncertain about what was happening to his female companion.

Kumiko slowly turned her head towards him and caught his attention with a dark glare, "Do not tell me to _fucking_ calm down!"

"Just breathe in and out," Sachiko said soothingly, checking the clock hung up on the wall, "Your contractions are getting very short now."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Yumichika shrieked, his hair standing up as he levitated from his chair.

"It means that this baby is coming and nothing is going to stop it," Sachiko supplied in a disturbingly calm voice. She turned her head to her butler as he came waltzing through the doorway with a bucket of hot water, another servant trailing behind him with his arms full with towels and blankets.

"A little haste here buddy," Yumichika remarked, "You heard the lady, this baby's coming whether we like it or not."

* * *

"Kisuke, what are you doing?"

The blonde snored loudly before waking up buried in paperwork, rubbing his head and looking around. He smiled tiredly and gave a half-hearted wave to Yoruichi. She shook her head and walked over.

"Were you in here all night?" She asked, standing behind him and resting her hands on his shoulders.

Kisuke nodded, shrugging off her shoulders, "Yeah I kinda got carried away and ended up falling asleep." He stood up and started sorting through is pile of work, continuing to speak to his companion, "I figured out this new way to detach the human soul from the physical body without turning them into a Hollow or killing them. I mean it's all in theory so far but if my equations add up like I think they will then we might have hit a breakthrough here. I mean, can you imagine the possibilities? I need to find test subjects as soon as possible to see if it actually works—"

"Take a breath there Kisuke," Yoruichi interrupted him with a chuckle, "That does sound interesting and we'll have to explore that further but we have bigger matters at hand."

"We do?"

"Yup," Yoruichi nodded solemnly, "You're up on the counter."

Kisuke threw his head back and began whining like a child, "But _Yoruichiiiiii_!"

"I don't want to hear any of it Kisuke Urahara," she began tugging him out of his lab and towards the shop, "It's your turn for another six hours and then you can come back to your weird, nerdy world."

Kisuke slumped in the chair and stuck his tongue out as Yoruichi retreated back into the little house. He hated running the shop…

He pulled out a notebook and started jotting down more calculations and equations, checking them three times over before moving onto the next. The shop door rattled open and closed but no sound followed. No footsteps, no crying children. Kisuke lifted his eyes above his rimmed hat and hid his surprise behind a cool smirk.

"Well it's been a while, what can I do for you…Old Man."

* * *

Kumiko rested her forehead against the wall again, "Yumichika?"

"Present."

"Do me a favor and kindly shut the fuck up," She said through gritted teeth.

"Honey stop swearing so much," Sachiko scolded her daughter.

"_I'm not fucking swearing though!_"

Yumichika began pacing the room with Ikkaku, checking his reflection each time he passed a window or mirror. Ikkaku continued to race up and down the room, chanting his mantra of swear words over and over again.

"I swear to any god or high being that if one of you pricks lift another foot off the ground to continue your mindless marching, I will tear it off and shove it so far up your ass, you'll have athlete's foot on your tonsils," Kumiko growled then screamed out as another contraction came, "Where in hell's name is Unohana? I thought her Shunpo would have been quicker than this!"

On cue, the Squad Four Captain came rushing in with two members of her squad behind her. She spotted Kumiko easily in the spacious room and headed over to her while her assistants began setting up the towels and blankets and medical supplies.

"Sakurai-san, come here and lie down on the blankets while I prep," Unohana led her to her one assistant while the other helped the doctor wash up. Sachiko and Unohana spoke but Kumiko could barely hear them. She assumed that Sachiko was passing on information about her contractions.

The one assistant began untying her hakama and pull off her underwear. Kumiko reached out and gripped the boy by his collar, pulling him in, "Are you listening boy?" He nodded vigorously, clearly unsure how to handle this situation, "If I don't get those back I _will_ end you. Don't think that just because I'm holding an extra eight pounds that I won't live up to my word."

"Ease up Kumiko," Yumichika knelt beside his friend and grabbed ahold of her hand, "Everything's going to be okay."

Kumiko looked up at him and, for a second, he was afraid that she would threaten him as well but instead she broke out into a small smile. "Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

Kisuke held the cup of Sake in his hands, finished it in one gulp then returned his eyes to the man sitting in front of him. He tried to figure out what he was hiding behind that impassive gaze of his but it was difficult to tell behind his bushy eyebrows and facial hair.

"So let me get this straight…you've known where I've been for a while now?" Kisuke repeated slowly.

The old man grunted in response, "Three weeks."

Kisuke nodded, appearing calm on the outside but inside he was trembling with irritation and anxiety. Thank God that the Vizards had moved out three months ago so there would be little chance that the Gotei Thirteen had found them. Still…it was unnerving that Kisuke, Tessai, and Yoruichi had left themselves so exposed without even knowing.

"So I'm going on a whim here and guessing that there's a reason why you haven't executed us already," Kisuke leaned back in his chair and giving his former commander a leveled look.

Not impressed with his lack of courtesy, the old man grumbled, "It's not too late for me to change my mind."

"So why don't you?" Kisuke challenged him.

Called on his bluff, Yamamoto sighed and dived into his explanation, "We need your brains, Urahara. As much as I hate to let someone as vile as you get off of your crime, the Seireitei needs help improving and Kurotsuchi can only do so much. As for your two other companions, I will not kill them as a sign of peace between us; call it burying the hatchet."

"So what do you need help with?" Kisuke asked, obviously surprising the man with his lack of resistance. Kisuke added, "Believe it or not, I didn't commit those crimes and I've been bored stiff without my lab so the sooner I can go back to—"

"You are not returning to the Soul Society."

"What?" Kisuke exclaimed, "How do you expect me to do anything without any of the proper equipment?"

"The Seireitei will provide the means of supplying you with whatever you need," Yamamoto explained, "But you will remain in exile."

Kisuke remained quiet, his heart shattering. He had been stupid believing that he would be able to return to the Soul Society and he hated himself for letting that sliver of hope slither and sprout within him.

"Take it or leave it," Yamamoto interrupted his thoughts, causing him to look up, "But understand that if you say no—"

"No need to threaten me, Oldie Locks," Kisuke raised his hands in submission, "I'm all yours and so is Yoruichi and Tessai."

"And what about _them_?"

Kisuke arched his eyebrow, knowing that he was referring to the Vizards, "Them? Is that what you call them nowadays? Well, the _former shinigami_ never came with Yoruichi and Tessai and I, so I'm as clueless as you are, Oldie Locks."

There was an intense stare passed between the two men before Yamamoto stood up with a frustrated sigh, "You will be contacted within the week. Make sure to start writing a list of the things you will need."

"Will do," Kisuke stood up with him and walked the Head-Captain to the door, "You have a nice day now, bye!"

As soon as the shinigami was gone, Kisuke let out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. He was one step closer to finding a way back to the Soul Society…one step closer to returning home.

* * *

The next half hour was all a blur, involving a lot of pushing, cringing, instructing from Unohana's side, rushing around for the correct things, and more death threats. But then there was no sound, no movement for a split second before the loud sound of a sob filled the room.

Kumiko stared at the tiny creature in Unohana's hands, vulnerable and naked to the world. Unohana cleared the child's throat and handed the infant to its mother in a loose swaddle. She heard nothing but the word "girl" and her baby's soft whimpers.

Taking ahold of her, Kumiko gingerly cradled her, too scared to disturb or hurt her most prized possession. Tears slid down both Kumiko and her child's cheeks as they studied one another with absolute fascination. Kumiko's breath caught at the sight of the child's wide, blue-grey eyes and smiled widely.

"You look like him, baby," she murmured softly so that no one else would hear her, "My little Shizuko…welcome."

* * *

_"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother."_

_\- _Lin Yutang

* * *

**WELCOME TO THE WORLD SHIZUKO!**

**Thank you for reading! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far :D I'll be posting up two more chapters today because I finally got into that writing groove again! xox**


	8. Chapter 8

**Finally the time skip am I right?! Haha, Well now that little Shizuko is older now I won't have any choice but have to add her POV into the story (Oh dang). Let me know what you guys think!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_"__If you can't fly, then run,_

_If you can't run, then walk,_

_If you can't walk, then crawl,_

_But whatever you do,_

_You have to keep moving forward."_

\- Martin Luther King Jr.

**Chapter 8**

_Skip forward 100…_

Kumiko stood in front of the daunting gates of the Kuchiki Residence. Ordinarily she would have been nervous entering the manor of nobles. Though she was of high bloodlines Kumiko never felt comfortable around nobles or aristocrats. She had been born into the Kuchiki and Kuna's care but she spent the majority of her childhood and adolescence growing up in the Kusajishi District, where they did not hide their dislike for the four noble clans.

But today was different altogether. Kumiko gave her regards to the guards as they opened the gates to the manor. She stormed through the grounds to where he was mostly like be; paying respects to his late wife.

"Byakuya we need to talk," Kumiko said through gritted teeth as she confronted him.

He didn't turn to face her, only scornfully murmured, "You're too loud. Come back when you have the proper manners a lady should have."

"Last time I checked I was a Kuna, not a Kuchiki," Kumiko shot back bitterly, "So don't feed me that bullshit. Turn around and face me like a man, Byakuya."

There was a long stretch of silence before Byakuya complied. Kumiko would admit that she was jealous of his grace and composure. Watching Byakuya, Kumiko often wondered what she would have looked like if she had not been stolen from her family early. Would she be like Byakuya? Or would it not have made a difference at all?

"Don't worry, I think that you still would have turned out to be the obnoxious brat you are today," Byakuya broke her thoughts.

"Was that a joke?" She shook her head and grinned when she got no response, "I thank the gods that you're the only person who can read me like an open book."

"Not the only one."

Kumiko flinched, glaring at her cousin with pained eyes, "Haku is gone, Byakuya."

"I know."

"So stop mentioning him!" She snapped. She had always been sensitive about the topic of her promised husband, especially around Byakuya. He looked so much like Haku and Kumiko hated the painful reminder that it left her with. She had come to terms with Haku's death decades ago; he had died from an incurable sickness and would have suffered more if he had lived any longer. Still, Kumiko had never stopped grieving for her beloved friend and companion. Haku was special and had a heart of gold. He was taken too soon and Kumiko just wished that she had had more years with him.

"I would have loved to love him," Kumiko sighed, a wistful smile taking place on her face. She met Byakuya's eyes, knowing that he could empathize with her. In the recent years since Hisana's death, Byakuya had become more tolerant of his cousin and welcomed her comfort. They understood each other's pain.

"Yes…" Byakuya looked over his shoulder and at the picture of Haku, resting close to Hisana's, "You two would have fallen very hard for each other."

Kumiko nodded but suddenly remembered why she had come here in the first place. She glared at Byakuya and asked him sternly, "Byakuya, what is this that I'm hearing about Rukia?"

Byakuya sighed, probably knowing what was coming next, "Renji and I have been ordered to bring her back to the Soul Society—"

"Arrest her, Byakuya," Kumiko corrected him, "Don't fucking sugarcoat things with me. You know how much I hate sugarcoating."

He looked annoyed to be interrupted but continued nonetheless, "Where she will await word from Central Forty-Six—"

"Wonderful!" Kumiko exclaimed, "Just fab-fucking-tabulous! Congratulations Byakuya, I think you've officially become the most immoral noble of them all!"

"You don't let people finish their sentences do you?" He closed his eyes irritably.

Kumiko continued, unfazed by his annoyance, "She's your sister. She's _her_ sister!"

"I know," Byakuya bared his teeth, her words cutting through her composure.

"Don't you fucking lose your temper with me!" She roared, marching up to him and jabbing her finger at his chest, "You better fix this, Byakuya. Because if you don't, if you walk away from this and let Rukia die, Hisana will _never_ forgive you."

"That's rich coming from the person who can't look at her child in the eye because she reminds you too much of her father."

Kumiko faltered, eyes widening at what he said. Even Byakuya looked guilty for letting his temper get the better of him.

"You're right…" Kumiko bit her lip, "I can't look into her eyes because it's too painful…all I see is _him_ in her." She looked up at Byakuya with a lethal glare, "But I would never walk away from her in her time of need. I'm not like you."

She stalked out of the room before Byakuya could say any more. Once she had returned to her office in the Eleventh Division, Kumiko folded her arms around her head and leaned against her desk.

Before she could get lost in her own thoughts, someone knocked on the door. Kumiko shot up and turned away, wiping her eyes while telling the person to come in. She knew who it was and she had to calm herself down before looking at her daughter.

Kumiko admired her little girl, so powerful and lithe. She had neither the height of her mother or father but stood at a proud five foot seven. Her long, tamed hairs was like her mother's but was the color of her father's. Long-limbed and practically flat-chested, the girl in front of Kumiko was a relentless warrior, much to her mother's pride.

But just as Byakuya had said, the girl had those same eyes…

"What do you want Shizuko," Kumiko sighed, running a hand down her face in frustration. She didn't want to think of that bloody fool right now.

Thinking that she was the cause of her mother's anger, Shizuko ran a hand through her hair, "I, uh, wanted to let you know that I'm leaving now."

"Hey?" Kumiko stood up, "Leaving? To where?"

"To the World of the Living," Shizuko said quietly, looking at the ground submissively, "I told you last night."

Kumiko's innards clenched with guilt as she studied her little girl. She was so focused on work that she never paid much attention to what Shizuko said to her at home. Moving around her desk, she stood in front of the girl and sighed, looking at her almost pitifully.

"Shizuko…I'm sorry that I never am—"

"It's fine!" Shizuko interrupted her mother, grinning at her, "Really, it's okay. I know you're busy with work."

Kumiko shook her head, "No that's no excuse. You're my daughter…" She trailed off, not sure what else to say. It was so hard talking to Shizuko sometimes. She was just too much like him.

Shizuko took ahold of the reigns and ended the conversation, bowing respectively, "I'll take my leave."

She was halfway down the corridor when she heard her mother call out her name, "Shizuko!" Kumiko was in front of her in a second, towering over her. Shizuko would be lying if she wasn't intimidated by the presence her mother's body language demanded.

"Yes?" Shizuko craned her neck to look at her mother.

Kumiko laid a hand on Shizuko's head, pulling her in and giving her a kiss on the forehead, "Good luck. Fight strong and don't forget the power that courses through you."

Shizuko nodded and Kumiko knew that she was confused. She smiled at her daughter, who returned it excitedly. They parted their ways but Kumiko didn't return to her office. She needed to beat the shit out of something. Her stomach was knotted with worry and she hated herself for being so weak and thinking of all of the things that could go wrong for Shizuko.

"Someone looks stressed," Yumichika joined her march to the training grounds, "You know that you're going to get premature wrinkles if you keep fretting over that girl."

Kumiko hit him with the base of her palm, "No one asked you, Pretty Boy. Besides, I'm not _fretting_ over her; she's perfectly capable."

"Uh huh," Yumichika grunted, "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Kumiko smirked, wanting to beat the crap out of the smartass. He and Ikkaku had become loyal friends and confidants to her, and she had nothing but the utmost respect for both fighters. They were strong warriors and had helped her train Shizuko when Kumiko was under pressure from her superiors. They had become sibling-like figures for her daughter and she would forever be in debt for their kindness.

Still…that didn't mean that she had to put up with Yumichika's smart mouth.

"I'm going to have fun beating you to a bloody pulp."

* * *

Shizuko straightened her uniform, anxiously waiting for the arrival of the Squad Six Captain and Lieutenant. She was at the Senkaimon with nothing but her zanpakuto and anxiety. She knew that she shouldn't fear Captain Kuchiki, seeing as he was her cousin, but she was practically trembling at the thought of being around him. Every time she had visited him with her mother, he was nothing but short with her. She was positive that he hated her guts but she wished she knew why.

Kumiko had simply brushed it off when Shizuko broached the issue with her but her daughter knew that there was something that she was hiding from her. There was something that everyone hid from Shizuko and she couldn't figure out what it was.

"Hey Kuna girl!"

Shizuko's head snapped up to attention and saw the red-haired lieutenant from the Sixth calling to her. She gulped when she saw Byakuya walking next to him. Although she wasn't affected by their enormous spiritual pressures, Shizuko's hair stood on end when she sensed the immense power that both men exerted.

When they were close enough, Shizuko bowed, "Captain Kuchiki, Lieutenant Abarai."

The lieutenant smirked, "Sheesh I never would have thought that you would be Kumiko's daughter."

His comment irritated because she was often compared to her mother but she managed to keep her voice steady when she inquired on it, "What is that supposed to mean, Lieutenant?"

His smirk only grew wider, his eyes glinting with a defiant spark, "Well for starters, your mother would've beaten the shit out me by now whereas you're standing there making small talk."

Shizuko bristled at this. It was true that she was a lot more patient than her mother but the fact that this man was practically accusing her of being a weakling who couldn't stand up for herself angered her. Still, no good would come out of attacking a lieutenant, though she was sure that she could take him on easily. Kumiko was right, Shizuko had powerful blood running through her –though she was almost sure that it wasn't solely from her mother.

"Maybe you could learn from her self-restrain, Renji," The Kuchiki captain finally spoke, surprising Shizuko and embarrassing Abarai.

"My apologies, Captain," The redhead said begrudgingly.

Shizuko bit her lip to stop herself from grinning. She had no problem forgetting to smile when Byakuya addressed her.

"Shizuko, does your mother know that you're on this mission?"

She nodded, choosing her words wisely, "Yes, sir."

He studied her and she began to fidget under his scrutinizing stare. He finally spoke again, "I don't think I made myself clear so I will rephrase my question. Does your mother know what your task on this mission is?"

Shizuko gulped, knowing that he already knew the answer. She glanced at the lieutenant and then back at the captain, doing her best to meet his gaze squarely, "No, Captain Kuchiki, but I hardly think it is my mother's business what my mission is about. I haven't needed her permission to leave the Seireitei in over ninety years."

There was a long pause before the Kuchiki nodded and started towards the Senkaimon. Shizuko stood dumbfounded, not sure whether she was still on the mission or not. She jumped when she felt a hand grip her shoulder firmly and she looked up to see Lieutenant Abarai grinning again.

"Welcome aboard," He said coolly before adding, "And call me Renji when we're not in the presence of the Captain."

Shizuko smirked, clasping the hand he extended, "Shizuko Kuna."

"I know who you are," He shook his head.

"Really?" Shizuko began to walk off, "Because I'm pretty sure you called me "Kuna girl" a few minutes ago."

"Okay, so maybe I forgot your first name."

"Well don't next time."

"Yes ma'am."

Shizuko snuck a glance at Renji, only to look straight ahead again when she caught him doing the same. She felt her cheeks warm and was grateful when Renji let out an embarrassed cough. Boy, this was going to be an interesting mission.

* * *

_"__Keep your eyes on the stars,_

_And your feet on the ground."_

\- Theodore Roosevelt

* * *

**What's that?! Has little Shizuko have a thing for redheads? And where is she going *gasp***


	9. Chapter 9

**Yayyyy! Final chapter for today! Thank you so much for being so patient with this story, I know that my updating has been seriously shitty. xox**

**And no hating on the Elvis quote; this song is my favorite *sobs in a corner* *whispers* so beautiful...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Take my hand,_  
_Take my whole life, too_  
_For I can't help falling in love with you"_

\- Can't Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley

**Chapter 9**

_Kisuke felt Kumiko's arms wrap around his waist, pressing her lips to the back of his neck. He heard her chuckle as he shivered under her lips._

_"__Whatcha doing?" She whispered, looking at the chalkboard admiringly._

_Kisuke smiled, a warm feeling enveloping him as she stared at his work with pride. He set the piece of chalk he was writing with down and turned to face her, "Just working out a few kinks on a project that we're working on."_

_"__Sounds exciting," She chuckled as they both sat down on the couch in his office, "What's it about?"_

_Kisuke wasted no time diving into a full explanation of what he and his department were working on. He told her about the types of tests they were conducting, explaining what each other of them were about and why they did them. He grabbed his notebook and showed her the test subjects they had been using and went through each test in detail, summarizing what he thought it all meant. Though halfway through showing her the data tables and graphs, he stopped and knew he had lost her._

_"__Where did I stop speaking English?" He grinned, closing the graph program down and turning off the computer._

_Kumiko laughed, "To be honest, right from the second I asked you what it was all about."_

_"__Sorry," Kisuke ran a hand through his hair, "I get carried away. You should have said something."_

_He looked up when Kumiko leaned forward, "No, I like it when you talk all nerdy. It's sexy."_

_"__Never had it described quite like that before," Kisuke grinned, grabbing ahold of her chin and brushing his lips against hers. She closed her eyes and waited for him to kiss her again but he just continued to watch her._

_She slowly opened her eyes, biting her lip excitedly and Kisuke smiled as she began to blush. She was so different around him, all her guards were down and she let him see all of her. He grabbed ahold of her soft jaw again and kissed her gently on the lips, his lips tingling as they met Kumiko's. He felt her spiritual pressure rise a little bit and he chuckled, kissing each of her cheeks and her nose._

_After covering her face with soft pecks Kisuke pulled her in and lay them both down on the couch, "I don't want to sound sappy—"_

_"__Too late," Kumiko smirked, resting her head against his chest._

_"—__but I just want to hold you like this right now," He smiled when Kumiko lifted her head again to look at him, "I just want to hold you like this and never let go of you."_

_"__Kisuke…" she murmured, kissing his chest, "Thank you."_

_"__For what?" He snuggled into her, feeling his eyes getting droopy._

_"__It's just…no man has ever just said he wants to hold me," She admitted quietly, catching Kisuke's attention, "You're so damn perfect and I don't know how I got this lucky."_

_Kisuke laugh, "Ah, my love, you're too cute. You really shouldn't be stroking my ego like that."_

_"__I'm being serious Kisuke."_

_He met her gaze and grinned, watching the feisty beauty lying on top of him, "I am too. I love you."_

* * *

Kisuke opened his eyes to find himself lying underneath a pile of paperwork again. Sitting up, he watched the papers scatter to the floor and rubbed his eyes. His back was killing him from slouching in his chair for so long.

Opening the door to his lab, Kisuke tried massaging the knots from his neck and headed for the kitchen. Tessai was already making breakfast for Ururu and Jinta. Kisuke was relieved to see that the coffee pot was full. Kisuke patted Tessai on the shoulder, grateful for the caffeine.

"You're awake," Tessai said, stirring the porridge he had made for the two kids.

"Barely," Kisuke mumbled as he emptied the pot into a giant mug. He slumped into the seat next to Jinta and took a sip of the coffee, "This is magical stuff."

Jinta rolled his eyes, "Of course he would get addicted to coffee. Look at what you've done Tessai!"

"It's better than alcohol," Ururu said, smiling gently at Tessai when he placed her breakfast down in front of her, "Thank you, Tessai."

Kisuke sat there sipping away at his coffee while watching Jinta, Ururu, and Tessai all bicker as usual. Normally he would join in on the fun but he couldn't shake the dream he had had. He hadn't had a dream about her in a long time now but he understood why he had. Today was her birthday.

He sighed, trying to remember how old she would be turning today. If he was right, she'd be a hundred and twenty-seven years old…

"Urahara-dono, we have a visitor," Tessai tapped Kisuke on the shoulder.

Kisuke nodded, standing up and stretched his neck out one last time, "Rukia?" Tessai nodded and Kisuke sighed, "She'll be here for her new shipment. I'll take first shift. Jinta and Ururu, I want you guys cleaning the house today with Tessai; make sure to help him, he's an old man."

"I am not!" Tessai protested indignantly, hands on hips.

Kisuke grinned, "Loving your apron."

He entered the shop and spotted Rukia easily. She was glancing over the coloring books, already holding a pack of markers and a sketchpad. To be honest, Kisuke only stocked the shop with art supplies because Rukia spent so much money on them. She alone could pay the shop's expenses with the amount she spent on sketchpads.

"Rukia, always a pleasure to see your beautiful face in my store," Kisuke chirped, grabbing the box that she had ordered.

"Hey Kisuke," Rukia place her art supplies on the counter, grabbing her purse and pulling out a few notes, "How are you?"

"Oh you know, you know," Kisuke rung up all the items, putting them in a paper bag, "Serving the masses, saving damsels, inventing new ways to screw with the Seireitei."

Rukia chuckled, taking the bag he handed her and giving him the money, "Yeah, sounds about right…"

Kisuke and her stared at each other. Rukia looked away first, coughing awkwardly and trying to ignore Kisuke's pleading eyes. She knew what he wanted to know but she couldn't pass on any information about the Kuchiki's, even her. Rukia had only met Kumiko a few times when she had visited Byakuya but she knew enough to know that she had had history with Kisuke. Byakuya had never defined their relationship but he had told her not to pass on any information about her; gossip about a noble clan was a punishable offense.

Not that she wasn't already in big trouble.

"Uhm, thanks for the shipment Kisuke," Rukia smiled, waving as she left the shop.

Kisuke gave a half-hearted wave, sighing as the store was filled with silence once again. He closed his eyes and tried to remember her, how she sounded. It had been so long since he had seen her that he was scared that he was beginning to forget her. He didn't know if she was dead or not but he had figured that he would have heard something about the infamous shinigami's death.

Still…he couldn't be sure unless someone confirmed it.

* * *

Byakuya was the quaintest sleeper that Shizuko had ever met. Renji snored loudly just like she did, which was a relief because she would have hated to be the only snorer; that would have been embarrassing beyond words.

Both the captain and lieutenant were still asleep but Shizuko knew it was time that they all had to get going. If they were going to catch Rukia Kuchiki then they were going to have to get moving. She had already gone out scouting for her but came up with nothing.

Unless…

Shizuko closed her eyes, concentrating hard on sensing her spiritual energy. She was surprised to see how many souls she located that possessed a fair amount of reiatsu, there at least seven of them. Two of them were grouped together, a third was heading towards them at a quick pace, while the other four were all together on the other side of town. Shizuko opened her eyes, staring out into the direction of where the four souls were. She couldn't be certain but two of them seemed to share very similar spiritual pressures. They could have been twins or even siblings that just happened to possess spirit powers…but Shizuko didn't want to chance it.

Standing up, she knelt over Renji and shook him awake then did the same with Byakuya.

"Is something wrong?" Renji asked, shaking his hair out before tying it back up. Byakuya, unsurprisingly, looked as though he hadn't just slept on the ground leaning against a tree trunk. Shizuko could understand why her mother find him a nuisance…

"I've located several possible contacts," She explained to them as they readied themselves, "Two of which share similar reiatsu."

"Which direction?" Byakuya asked. Shizuko pointed to where she believed the high school was and he nodded, "Good job."

Byakuya had left before she could say anything, and both Renji and her shared a dumbfounded look. Renji shook his head and laughed before following his captain, Shizuko hot on his heels.

They had reached the high school in no time and Shizuko was proud of herself for not falling behind. Shizuko closed her eyes again to locate the two souls but couldn't find them. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried harder but she couldn't pick them out of the mass of souls.

"They're being obscured by the other surrounding souls," Shizuko sighed, combing her hands through her hair in frustration.

Renji nodded then looked at his captain, "Rukia's your sister captain, can you sense her here?"

Byakuya stared down at the school, "She's there."

Shizuko wrapped her hand around her zanpakuto but Renji stopped her from unsheathing it. When she looked up at him confused, he explained, "We can't make a big commotion. We'll have to wait until she's isolated enough."

Shizuko nodded and let go of her sword. Byakuya caught her eye and asked, "You said that there were several more souls?"

"Yes; four of which are here but the other three are on the other side of Karakura," she confirmed, feeling self-conscious that Renji was staring at her.

Byakuya mulled over this information before deciding what the plan was, "I will stay here and track Rukia's movements. Shizuko, find these other souls and confirm that they are not the human in question; Abarai, follow her."

"Yes sir," they both said before heading out.

* * *

Shizuko leaned against the wall with her eyes shut, confirming that the three souls hadn't moved. When she opened them again she found Renji watching her.

"Don't you ever need to blink?" She grinned, pushing off of the wall and walking towards where the souls' position was.

Renji joined her, "Sorry. Just never saw a low-ranked officer track spiritual pressure like that."

She laughed, elbowing his side, "Wow, you really know how to charm a lady, Abarai."

He went bright red, "I –uh –sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. You're just…you're good."

"Thanks," Shizuko said airily. He was actually really sweet when he was flustered, "My mother is better at her Kido than her Zanjutsu, so she taught me all the basics."

"Interesting coming from Squad Eleven," Renji said thoughtfully, "I met your mother when I was transferred briefly into Squad Eleven; she's a scary one but I never would have pinned her as a Kido gal."

"Yeah, she doesn't tolerate idiots," Shizuko agreed quietly, "To be honest, she's pretty crap at detecting reiatsu but she's an incredible Kido Master."

"So you got your tracking abilities from your father?"

Shizuko stopped, taking a deep breath and letting it out, "I…I never knew my father actually."

"Oh…sorry," Renji said just as quietly, "I never had parents, so I can relate."

Shizuko smiled at him, "Thanks, though I think you had the rougher end of the deal. That must have been hard growing up; where from the Rukon are you from?"

The rest of the trek to the three souls went much like this. Shizuko found herself opening up to Renji and felt a lot more comfortable sharing things with him. He hadn't always known what she was talking about but it was obvious that he tried to understand it. Besides that, Shizuko loved his boisterous behavior; he reminded her a lot about Ikkaku in many ways.

"So how do you know Captain Kuchiki?"

Shizuko looked up at him in surprise and smiled, "How did you know?"

He shrugged, that mischievous gleam in his eyes returning, "I make it my business to know everything about the guy."

"That sounds very creepy," Shizuko laughed, stopping to look at him in the eye, "My mother's father was Byakuya's uncle."

Renji's eyes nearly popped out of his head, "So you're a Kuchiki?"

Shizuko shook her head, "Yes and no. It's complicated to be honest. Basically, my grandfather refused to marry Yoruichi Shihoin and as a punishment he was made to marry my grandmother, Sachiko Kuna—" She jumped when a cat shot out from the pile of crates next to her. Renji laughed and she stuck her tongue out at him before continuing, "My mother and her late sister were both given the name Kuna because the Kuchiki Clan saw them as a disgrace. That changed when Kumiko became the only available woman to marry Sojun Kuchiki's eldest, Haku." She saw Renji's eyebrows drawn together and giggled, "I'll stop there because it gets even more confusing after that."

He scratched the back of his, smiling, "Yeah, that is. But you can't expect nothing else from the nobles; always having to put on a good show for everyone."

Shizuko grunted in agreement, stopping abruptly, "They're gone."

"What? Who?"

Shizuko looked up at him and then ran forward to where she had last sensed them, "The three souls we're following; they just disappeared!"

"Impossible, I didn't sense any Hollows in the area," Renji matched her stride as they raced around the corner and faced a house.

Shizuko heaved herself over the fence and hoisted herself up onto the roof. She scanned the area, looking for any sign of movement. Nothing.

"Shit," Renji growled, fists clenching at his sides, "They must have hidden behind a Kido barrier."

Shizuko gawked at him, "Kido? Why would a normal soul know how to use Kido?"

"Who said they were normal?" Renji said grimly, "I think we're dealing with more than just Rukia Kuchiki and a human here."

"Traitors?"

"No, exiled shinigami," he murmured before abruptly jumping off the roof, not waiting for Shizuko to catch up, "We need to tell the captain now!"

* * *

"What are you saying Yoruichi, slow down."

"Someone knows about my betrothal to Akio Kuchiki."

"So? Anyone in the noble or aristocratic circles knows about it."

"No, Kisuke, you don't understand! She knew about how he married Sachiko Kuna. She knew about the Kuna Family…and Mashiro and—"

"Kumiko."

* * *

_"These arms of mine, they are lonely_  
_Lonely and feeling blue_

_These arms of mine, they are yearning_  
_Yearning from wanting you"_

\- These Arms Of Mine by Otis Redding

* * *

**Tension is building as Kisuke starts getting his answers. See you guys soon! Thank you for reading :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys! Just a little chapter with Kumiko's perspective! Warning, it's quite depressing.**

**Before you start though, I just want to explain this a little bit before you guys think I really love making Kumiko all depressed and stuff:**

**Kumiko has lived a very difficult life and I thought it would be appropriate that Kumiko would have self-esteem issues. Everyone in her life leaves one way or another, or she screws something up and the relationship turns sour. **

**She blames herself for everything pretty much and that's why she has these relapses. I thought it'd be conveyed strongly if I used drinking as a way for her to forget about her shame, etc. If you guys remember from Book One, Kumiko tells Kisuke that she doesn't drink -or at least not a lot -so I felt like this was powerful because it shows how much pain she's in.**

**So yah! I also wanted to remind everyone that even though a hundred years has past, Kumiko can't forget about Kisuke. Time doesn't always heal people! :D**

**Soooooo enjoy!**

* * *

_"I don't know any perfect people._

_I only know really flawed people who are still worth loving."_

\- John Green

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Kumiko sighed contently, leaning back in her office chair. Her feet were proper up on her desk, absent of any paperwork for once. It was a nice change and Kumiko felt a sense of relief wash over her, realizing that she had finally caught up. With Rukia Kuchiki's disappearance and all the events following that, it had brought a preposterous amount of paperwork. It definitely hadn't helped that there was that Menos Grande that suddenly appeared in one of the towns suspected to be harboring Rukia. Needless to say, it had been an interesting couple of days.

"Is that alcohol I smell?"

Kumiko cracked an eye open and waved at her captain, lazily grabbing another glass for him. She slid it over to him along with the bottle; son of a bitch could pour it himself. He ignored the glass and took a gulp from the bottle, much to Kumiko's irritation.

"Thanks," she said dryly as he polished the bottle, "It's not often that I can go out and buy quality bourbon like that, and there you go hogging it all to yourself."

"You wouldn't be able to hold that much liquor anyways," the Kenpachi met Kumiko's glare challengingly.

She tilted her head back and finished her drink with a single gulp, "Uh huh…" Kumiko reached down and opened her draw, pulling out a decanter. She poured the liquid into his glass and topped her glass as well, "Try and savor the spoils of my high quality liquor, Captain."

They both semi-raised their glasses to each other and empty their tumblers again. Kumiko refilled their drinks countless of times before Yumichika and Ikkaku joined them. By then the alcohol in her body was taking its effect on her, calming her senses and anxiety.

Yumichika shook his head distastefully, "Don't let Shizuko find out that you're still drinking."

Kumiko began to giggle hysterically, handing the third bottle of bourbon to Kenpachi and grabbed a bottle of vodka. She unscrewed the cap and drowned herself in the stinging sensation that the liquor gave her, still laughing and hiccupping.

"What about the glass?" Kenpachi joined her drunken laughter.

Kumiko nearly spat her drink out, "Fuck the glass!"

She and Kenpachi clashed bottles together before quenching their thirsts. Unfortunately, Kumiko's thirst for alcohol was not so easily quenched nowadays. It disgusted her how dependent she had become on the bottle but it was one of her only friends that she could count on. She had stopped drinking when Shizuko was around but when she went out on missions or was not coming home, Kumiko would find company with her good old friends; Whiskey, Brandy, and co.

"Fucking hypocrite!" Kenpachi cackled.

Ikkaku pointed to her half empty bottle, "Not a good idea mixing alcohol, Kumiko."

She looked at him with boredom, wandering why the hell he was even concerned about whether she was mixing or not. It didn't matter what she drank or what different kinds of liquor she poisoned herself with, she would still drink until her passed out. It was pathetic but that suited her just fine. She was pathetic. She couldn't even look her daughter in the eye without thinking about the man who left her for a cat woman.

"Don't look at me like that," Kumiko growled dangerously to both of her friends, "I will gouge your eyeballs out and feed them to you if you continue to give me that look of disgust and pity."

Kenpachi nodded approvingly and Kumiko felt a surge of drunken pride. He was too drunk to care about her depressing thoughts or the reason why she was drinking herself into an early grave; he just approved of her act of aggression and threatening her superior. Still, she would take his blindness to pity.

"My, my, what's this?" All heads turned to Shunsui as he sauntered into the office, "You're throwing a party and I wasn't invited?"

"What do you want Shunsui?" Kenpachi grumbled, leaning back into his chair.

The older shinigami tilted his hat and took in the scene. Kenpachi was clearly suffering from the effects of his drinking, drifting off further into sleep with every second that passed. Yumichika and Ikkaku looked sober but he could tell that the two were both agitated. Shunsui figured it was probably because of the drunken female slouched in her seat, staring at him in turmoil.

Fixing his hat, he cleared his throat, "Well I had originally come here to kidnap little Kumiko here and take her to the Head-Captain but I don't think that would be a great idea right now." Yumichika nodded in agreement and Shunsui smirked, "I think I'll just have a private chat with Kumiko instead. Is that okay?"

Kenpachi shrugged, "Whatever, I couldn't give a shit about your gossip time." Yumichika and Ikkaku made themselves useful and helped their captain out of the office.

"Have a good night Captain," Yumichika called over his shoulder, "Thank you."

When Shunsui and Kumiko were the only two in the room he walked towards her. She hadn't said anything since he had come in, choosing to stare at the bottle in her hand.

"I must say Kumiko, despair doesn't look good on you," He knelt next to her, carefully prying the bottle from her fingers, "You need to stop this."

"Easier said than done," She murmured, her eyes glassing over, "I don't know why you all have a problem with me drinking myself into a drunken stupor. I prefer my drunk self."

Shunsui sighed, "I agree, it _is_ easier to just numb yourself from everything. But Kumiko, there are different ways with dealing with your grief."

"What grief?" She scoffed, "I stopped grieving for that asshole a long time ago."

"I'm not just talking about Kisuke." This caught her attention. He continued, leaning against her chair, "You haven't had an easy life Kumiko. No one will argue that. You lost your best friend at a young age, you were taken away from your family and forced to live in poverty, you survived the interrogations from Squad Two, lived with the judgement for loving Kisuke, and you had to raise a child by yourself. Everyone knows that you weren't dealt a fair hand in this life…but this is no excuse to ruin yourself like this."

"You say it like I'm not already ruined," She said bitterly. Shunsui remained quiet, understanding that it was her turn to speak, "I know that I'm full of self-pity and a vile temper. I know that I'm probably the worst mother for Shizuko; she deserved so much than me. The same goes for Kisuke and Haku…I've never been worthy of any of them. All I do is hurt people and myself." She took a deep breath to stop from shedding tears, "But I acknowledge the imperfections in me, I know I have flaws. It doesn't change anything about me but at least I don't pretend like I'm not disgusting—"

"You're not disgusting," Shunsui lay a protective hand over hers, "You know when Jushiro, Old Yama, and I found you in the Rukon you were such a feisty one. You threatened to carve a smile into my mouth and Jushiro was horrified. We were both surprised that the old man let you live and sent you the Academy. It piqued our interest—Jushiro and me. We visited the Academy whenever we could to watch you, to find what the Head-Captain had saw in you." He smiled at her, "We couldn't figure out what it was. I think we thought we had; we thought Yama had just admired the fighter in you, that undying force you had that made you push forward…but it wasn't until Kisuke came along that we realized that we were wrong.

He came along and showed us what a precious gem you truly were. He coaxed you out of your shell and showed your true colors. And we all realized how beautiful you truly were, Kumiko. You, a soul who had been tormented from Day One, had not changed at all; only formed a hard layer over yourself. But you never forgot your true self, you never pretended to be someone else. You were strong and vulnerable; you had the tenderness that you were raised to have."

Kumiko's voice cracked, not able to hold back her emotions, "I don't understand why you're telling me all of this."

"You're not ruined Kumiko," He insisted, "You're just trying to hide from all the pain again, like you did since you were young. But Kumiko," she stared at him as he shook his head sadly, "Drinking and such nonsense is not the way to handle this. You don't need to hide behind your armor anymore; Kisuke showed you that and it's my job to remind you. You don't have to numb yourself from the pain, you just need to face it with the ones that support you."

Kumiko nodded but still choked on her words, "Shizuko can't stand me, Shunsui. I can tell. She blames me for not being strong enough—she thinks it's my fault that she has no father. I hate the fact that I can't tell her about her father…and she hates me for not telling her anything."

Shunsui shook his head, "She doesn't despise you Kumiko. That girl looks at you like you're a goddess. She's just trying to find her way in this world like you've had to." She kept quiet but Shunsui knew what else was bugging her. After living for centuries, there was little this young girl could hide from him, "I know he broke your heart Kumiko—"

"He didn't break my heart, that's bullshit," Kumiko snapped, "He broke _me_, Shunsui. He made me trust him and then he abandoned him when I needed him the most!"

"But you need to get past it," He replied, "You have for the most part. But for the sake of Shizuko, you need to forget about everything he did a hundred and nine years ago. She needs your guidance. She's still a child, Kumiko."

Kumiko nodded, a small smile creeping to her lips, "Shunsui don't you ever stop talking to me."

He chuckled, "Let's get you to bed, little one. It's well past your bedtime and you're going to be facing one hell of a hangover in the morning."

As they walked toward her bedroom she turned to Shunsui and asked him curiously, "What did the Head-Captain want with me anyways?"

"Huh? Oh that was just a fib; Yumichika had sent for me when he saw that you and old Kenpachi were drinking again."

"Clever shit."

They stopped outside her bedroom. Kumiko turned around hugged Shunsui, something they both had grown used to over the past century. He and Jushiro had become father figures for her, keeping a watchful eye on her and giving her advice while she struggled through her loss and the first years of parenthood.

"Thank you," She whispered, feeling the daze of the alcohol. She could hear her bed calling to her.

"Anytime kiddo…Kumiko," He said one last thing before taking his leave, "It's not too late."

She nodded, shutting the door behind her and climbing into bed. He was right; It wasn't too late to look Shuziko in the eyes and show her what kind of mother she could be. Turning on her side, she stared at the picture of her daughter before wishing her good night.

* * *

_"We've been so scarred_

_some people call it art._

_I hope you make peace_

_with your pain, and_

_never lose your flames."_

\- Never Lose Your Flames by Issues

* * *

**Oh, and I forgot to mention this is the last chapter but I'm reminding everyone that Kisuke is 6 ft and Kumiko is 5'11". Shizuko is only 5'7" **

**Anways! Thank you for reading :D Next chapter may or may not be holding a little reunion for Kisuke! FINALLY SOME HAPPY NEWS 3**

**Thank you!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here it is folks! The moment we have all been waiting for...THE BIG REVEAL**

* * *

_"And I thought I saw you out there crying_  
_And I thought I heard you call my name_  
_And I thought I heard you out there crying_  
_But are we all lost stars trying to light up the dark?_  
_Are we all lost stars trying to light up the dark?"_

\- Lost Stars by Adam Levine

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Candy was the way to someone's heart but power was the way to someone's confidence. The question was which one should you harvest first? Should you earn a person's heart and trust before you indebt them to yourself? Or if you give them power, little by little, will they still be humble enough to pay you back for your deeds to them?

Kisuke figured that neither mattered. You could feed a caged wolf meat to gain its trust but at the end of the day, what it truly craved was freedom. On the other hand, sometimes that craving for freedom meant having their own but taking others' away. So having power—and therefore one's own freedom to do anything—wasn't always a good thing.

He hadn't heard from the Soul Society for a while now. He had figured that it had something to do with catching Rukia. Kisuke wasn't too worried that they hadn't requested anything from him of late; it meant that he could continue with his own experiments and studies. Still…he often wandered if Kisuke had given the Soul Society too much power with his findings and new toys. He had invented them all and given them to the Seireitei, who in many ways took them all for granted. The Shinigami had been given power and they didn't know how to use it because they never worked for it. That was how people like Aizen were allowed to roam around without detection. The Soul Society was like a spoiled child; once it had set its eyes on something, it would have it at all costs and not listen to the voice of reason.

As much as Kisuke hated Aizen for everything he had done to him and the others, Kisuke understood that he was not the only one to blame for all of this. Kisuke couldn't be entirely sure but he was pretty confident that Aizen was behind this whole Rukia situation. Had the Seireitei had been open to logic and listened to Kisuke—who they had supposedly trusted for nearly a decade—then Aizen would have been caught and the problem that had unfolded itself _now_ would have been nipped in the bud, _then_.

And still the Seireitei had the audacity to demand that Kisuke helped them. There wasn't even anything ironic or funny about it all, just annoying and the Head-Captain's pride and ego. She wasn't happy about being shunned by everyone and then having the people who embarrassed her demand that she helped them. Kisuke grinned, knowing that she would have either preferred them to at least bribe her with food.

"Kisuke!" The door flew open, scattering all the paper piles around it.

Kisuke wasn't happy about having to reorganize all of those again but decided not to make a big deal of it, "Yoruichi! I was just thinking about you!"

"Ichigo is in trouble," She dragged him out of the lab and towards the door. As soon as he stepped out of his lab, he was pummeled by three reiatsu.

"Byakuya…" Kisuke murmured, "He's gotten quite strong now, I see."

"Yes, he and his lieutenant just demolished Ichigo and destroyed his powers," Yoruichi snapped at him, "I thought you said it would have been safe to send him out there, Kisuke."

Kisuke nodded, sensing Ichigo's dwindling spirit, "This is exactly what I thought would happen." He caught Yoruichi's appalled face and laughed, "Ichigo is much too confident of his abilities. This defeat will teach him a lesson. Besides, the only powers that were destroyed were the ones that Rukia gave him."

Yoruichi shook her head, "I don't want to hear any of this right now. Get the kid first and then explain later."

"Yes Ma'am," He put on his hat and disappeared.

* * *

"My, my, Ichigo." The carrot-top looked up at him but his eyes didn't register anything, "You are a mess."

The Quincy—Uryu? —was bleeding out but would live. Still, Kisuke was surprised how wounded the two boys were. Byakuya hadn't shown any mercy today. His lieutenant also seemed to be a cold fish.

The rain was pouring heavily and with it, came a new reiatsu. Kisuke lifted his head, catching the scent of a familiar reiatsu. Kumiko…

Just as quickly as it had come, it had disappeared. He wanted to say that the reiatsu had been hidden but he couldn't. Kumiko couldn't be…was he just imagining things?

"Kisuke…" Uryu groaned, trying to move but failed.

Kisuke gritted his teeth, torn between finding out whether he had imagined the spiritual pressure and mending these two boys. Sighing, he grabbed both of them, careful not to touch their wounds or compromise their spines, and disappeared again.

Yoruichi had mentioned someone in the area that had seemed to know Kumiko…maybe that had been them. But why were they carrying her traces of her reiatsu…

He would have to find out another time.

* * *

Yoruichi had their hands full with gathering the strength of all of Rukia's companions. While Tessai healed Ichigo—Uryu had left once he had regained consciousness—Yoruichi had gone on a hunt for Orihime and Chad. Jinta and Ururu had done their best in trying to take care of themselves since no one else could at the time.

Kisuke had been preparing the Underground for Ichigo's shinigami training. He was sure that Ichigo wasn't going to give up, especially with Rukia's life in danger now. Ichigo was an idiot on occasions and rushed into battles without knowing if he could win or not, but he had this overwhelming protection of his family and friends. Kisuke would be surprised if Ichigo turned down Kisuke's offer.

Luckily for him, he was almost always right about everything.

"I'm going to go get Jinta and Ururu lunch," He called out to Tessai as he left the Underground and grabbed his hat, "Do you want something?"

Tessai grunted something incomprehensible so Kisuke decided that he was too concentrated on his Kaido to do anything else. He would just get him a sandwich or something like that.

The streets were quiet and abandoned, most having the good sense of staying out of the heat. Kisuke was happy to see warmer weather since the past few days had been rather miserable and rainy. And even though the sun was out now and the air was sweltering, Kisuke could already see the thunderclouds in the distance. This sunny day would be short lived. Maybe he should have an umbrella tod—

"Oof!" Kisuke heard the tiny voice as he ran into someone.

"Oh I'm sorry!" He said, grabbing her by the shoulders to steady her.

"It's fine," She rushed out before scrambling out of his hands. She jumped away from him and ran away, glancing over her shoulder and catching his eye.

Her reiatsu slammed into him. It was her. _It was her!_

Kisuke sprinted after her, now realizing that she was wearing a Shihakusho. Had she dyed her hair? She suddenly disappeared, reappearing almost a mile away. Her Shunpo had definitely improved but when had she become so good at masking her spiritual pressure? If he lost sight of her then he wouldn't be able to find her again! He couldn't lose her again. He wouldn't.

"Kumiko!"

Shizuko turned around, startled at the sound of her mother's name. Her eyes widened as she looked at a taller, masculine version of herself. He stared back at her, equally as stunned as she was. She had caught glimpses of him while following him but she hadn't had the chance to actually _look_ at him…

"You're not…" He trailed off, taking his hat off and glancing over Shizuko again.

She stiffened, suddenly aware of the faint spiritual pressure she could feel coming off of him. It was faint but the more she studied it the more certain she was that he was wearing a Gigai. It was weird though, why was it cutting off his reiatsu?

"Who are you?" She lay her hand on her zanpakuto, ready to unsheathe it if he made even the smallest movement, "I'm only going to ask you once."

His gaze lingered on her sword before meeting her gaze, smiling at her, "My name is Kisuke Urahara."

Shizuko relaxed a bit but still kept her stance. She didn't like the way he observed her every movement. She could see the gears turning in his head every time he broke down each observation, slowly figuring out what she was all about. It was unnerving but she had this gut feeling that he knew more about her than she knew about him.

"How do you know Kumiko?" Shizuko demanded, remembering how he had called out her mother's name almost pleadingly.

He didn't answer her and she could see that he was trying to choose his answer carefully. It freaked her out that he just knew that she was on edge right now. Between Kumiko and Sachiko, she had pretty much mastered hiding her emotions. Who was this man?

Impatient and desperate for answers, Shizuko began to unsheathe her sword to let him know that she wasn't playing around, "I thought I told her; I'm only going to ask you once."

"It's funny though," he replied calmly, unfazed by her aggression, "I was going to ask you the same thing. How do you know Kumiko?"

Shizuko bared her teeth at him, annoyed that he was just tossing back what she threw at him. Still, maybe if she gave him an answer he would cooperate with her a little more. Sheathing her sword, Shizuko stood up straight again, shoulders back and body rigid. He seemed amused by how she tried to intimidate him but Shizuko ignored him.

"I am Shizuko Kuna, fourteenth-seat of Squad Eleven," She said, watching as his eyes widened, "And I am Kumiko's daughter."

* * *

Kisuke was frozen on the spot, forgetting how to breathe. Daughter? Kumiko was pregnant? He looked the woman standing before him. She definitely had the same attitude as Kumiko; mood changing from boiling anger to icy calm. But what frightened him the most was how she looked exactly like him.

"Shizuko…" He whispered, not trusting his voice. She was eyeing him warily, obviously sensing the spiritual pressure that leaked through his Gigai. He resisted the urge to pull her into his arms, not wanting to scare her, "How old are you, Shizuko?"

She seemed hesitant to answer but complied anyways, "A hundred and nine…what's it to you?"

Kisuke felt his head spin. She's around the age…could she be his?

"What's this about?" He looked up and saw her grit her teeth, also picking up that something was strange about him.

He smiled, admiring how she began piecing everything together. Understanding slowly passed through her and she took a step back, nearly tripping over herself. She shook her head in disbelief. Kisuke could see what she was doing; she was trying to come up with a reasonable explanation to rebut her first conclusion. But now that she couldn't find anything she just tried to deny everything.

"I'm afraid to say it Shizuko but it looks like your mom kept a little secret from both of us," He started towards her, holding his hands out so she didn't panic.

"Shut up…" She crossed her arms, closing herself off to him, her lower lip quivering, "Stop screwing with me." She turned around to hide her weakness. Kisuke smiled, seeing how she was so much like her mother and not liking people watch her cry.

"You've seen the facts, Shizuko," Kisuke said, stopping in front of her, "Last time I saw your mother was one hundred and eight years ago, around the time she gave birth to you. How can you explain the fact that your reiatsu is a combination of mine and your mother's? And lastly," he looked at her calmly, meeting her frightened eyes with his soothing gaze, "you cannot deny the fact that you and I are spitting images of each other."

The first tear slide down her cheek, taking a deep breath Shizuko turned to face him fully. His eyes were kind and truthful, full of so much love and surprise that it brought a new wave of tears. Her mother had never looked at her like this; Kumiko always hid behind a mask that she wouldn't even let her daughter see through.

She reached her hand up and Kisuke met her with his own large, calloused hand. They even had the same color tone…

"This…this is a lot to take in," She laughed nervously.

Kisuke joined her, not entirely sure how to handle the situation either, "It is different. I never would have guessed to be honest."

They both smiled at each other, two strangers who had a lot more in common that either had originally thought. Shizuko felt her walls breaking down and with a hesitant step forward, she lunged into Kis—no, her father—and hugged him.

* * *

_"Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline,  
__ no matter how many times it's sent away.  
You will put the wind in win some, lose some.  
You will put the star in starting over, and over.  
And no matter how many land mines erupt in a minute,  
be sure your mind lands on the beauty of this funny place called life.  
And yes, on a scale from one to over-trusting, I am pretty damn naive.  
But I want her to know that this world is made out of sugar.  
It can crumble so easily,but don't be afraid to stick your tongue out and taste it."_

_-_ If I Should Have A Daughter by Sarah Kay


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